Fractured
by amusingbutconfusing
Summary: AU. Please remember that this is an AU story. Slightly darker than anything I've written before on Emison but like all darkness there's light and this light is in the form of Emison of course! Rated T but will probably change as the chapters progress. Give it a read you may even like it!
1. Begin Again

_I want to throw this out here to see if there is any interest in it. This is a lot darker than anything I've written before but like every dark situation there's light and that light will come in the form of Emison of course. I know some people will probably really dislike this and that's okay but I'm just giving out a pre warning. Will be a slow burn if I do continue it but we will see how this goes first. This is just an intro chapter really to set everything up. So if you're interested then by all means let me know._

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><p><em>Emily doesn't know for sure that it's her until that moment. There is a dull bloom of warmth in her spine, her vision blurs, and then she knows that Jessica Jackson is the one she's been looking for. She realises that she's been drugged but it is too late. She fumbles for her gun, but her hands are like lead, and she can only lift it awkwardly from her belt clip and hold it out as if it were a gift to Jessica.<em>

_Jessica takes it and smiles, kissing Emily gently on the temple. Then she reaches into Emily's blazer and takes the phone, turning it off and slipping it into her purse. Emily is almost paralysed now, slumped in the olive leather chair in the home office._

_But her mind is a prison of clarity. Jessica Jackson kneels down next to her, the way someone might with a child, and puts her lips so close to Emily's that they are almost kissing. Emily's pulse throbs in her throat and she can't swallow. Jessica smells like vanilla._

_"It's time to go sweetheart," Jessica whispers. Jessica stands then, and Emily is lifted from behind, elbows under her arms. A man in front of her takes her legs, and she is carried into the garage and laid into the back of a maroon Escalade – the car Emily and her task force have spent months looking for – and then Jessica crawls on top of her. Emily realises then that there's someone else in the car, that Jessica wasn't the one behind her._

_But she doesn't have time to process that because Jessica is now straddling her abdomen, a knee pressing on either side of her waist. She can't move her eyes anymore, so Jessica narrates for her benefit._

_"I'm rolling your right sleeve up, and I'm tying off a vein." Then she holds up a hypodermic in Emily's sight line. Medical training, Emily thinks. Eighteen percent of female serial killers are nurses. She is staring at the ceiling of the car. Plain metal. Stay awake, she thinks. Remember everything, every detail. It will be important. Really important._

_She thinks: if I live._

* * *

><p>The scar on her left breast was pale and raised, the tissue no wider than a piece of string. It carved a naked path through her tanned skin, it arced and then it arced again back down to it's original point. It was shaped like a perfect love heart. If it had been a different colour or not on her, Emily would have thought it looked like a tattoo. But it's wasn't a tattoo, well it was her tattoo in some fucked up way, her own personal brand.<p>

Emily was always aware of it, the raised skin against the material of her shirt. She had a lot of scars, battle wounds she liked to call them, it sounded better, but this was the only one that still seemed to hurt. A phantom pain, Emily knew. Like a broken rib that had never quite healed right, aching underneath. A scar wouldn't hurt though. Not after all this time.

Her phone rang and Emily turned her head towards the coffee table knowing what it meant: another day, another victim, no relevant clues and that's why they needed her. The caller ID on the screen showing Toby's name confirmed her suspicions.

She picked up the phone, annoyed at it's incessant ringing on the coffee table in front of her couch. "Yeah," she said. She was sitting in her apartment living room in the dark, she hadn't planned it that way. She had just sat down a few hours before and the sun had set, and she hadn't bothered to turn on any of the lights. Plus her apartment, with it's sparse furnishings, looked slightly less sad when it was cloaked in the natural darkness of night.

Toby's friendly voice filled the phone line. "We have another victim, same MO," he said. And there she had it.

The digital clock that sat on her empty bookcase blinked insistently in the dark room. It was an hour and thirty minutes off, but Emily had never bothered to reset it, she just did the math to calculate the time whenever she needed it.

"So let me guess they want to regroup the task force?" Emily asked, her voice devoid of any emotion.

She had already told Toby she would go back to work if they agreed to her terms. She touched the stack of files that Toby had given her a week before, they were piled on top of each other on her lap, the crime scene photo's of the victims tucked neatly inside.

"It's been over a year, I told them that you had recovered and were ready to come back to work full time with us. We need you back here, it's not the same."

"So you lied." Emily smiled in the darkness.

"I'd prefer to think of it as the power of positive thinking Em. You caught Jessica Jackson, and she scared the shit out of everyone in this country. You're practically a hero. But this new guy? He's already taken three women, now another one and we are fucked, so please come back to work and help us."

"Jessica caught _me_."

A rectangular brass pillbox sat on the coffee table next to a glass of water that would be warm by now, the thought made Emily grimace. She didn't bother with coasters. The scratched up old oak coffee table had come from her Mom and Dad's house. Everything in her apartment was scarred. Her included, she thought as she absent mindedly ran her finger over the scar that lurked underneath her grey vest top.

"And you survived it Em." There was a pause on the phone line. "Remember?"

With a delicate flick of her thumb, Emily opened the pillbox and took out two white oval pills and tucked them into her mouth.

"My old job?"

She took a drink of water, her body relaxing as she felt the pills travel down her throat towards their destination. She had been right, the water was now warm, and as she placed her glass back on the coffee table there was a subtle clink. Her brows furrowed in distaste as she felt the last of the luke warm water slide down her neck.

"Task force supervisor, just like you asked," Toby replied.

There was one more requirement, the one that Emily was least happy about, the one she had pushed Toby against but had ultimately been unsuccessful.

"And the journalist?"

Emily waited. Toby wouldn't back down now, it wasn't his choice in the first place but she knew it was one of the requirements she had to fulfill if she was to go back to work and help them.

"She's okay yeah, I haven't met her personally but she looks okay," Toby said, "I saw her picture. You'll like her, I think."

Emily looked down at the files that were resting on her lap. She could do this. All she had to do was keep it together and get through this case. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out the faint white tip of a photograph of the first victim, peeking out innocently from it's manila folder.

"How old is the woman?"

"Twenty three. Disappeared on her way home from work, works at a local office that closed at six. Her bike has also vanished." Toby paused and Emily could hear his frustration in the silence that had settled down the phone between them. "We've got nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, Em."

Emily placed the folders onto the coffee table next to the now empty glass before she ran her hand through her messy dark hair. Knots getting caught in between her fingers.

"Pick me up in half an hour then," Emily stated as she finally untangled some of her hair. She really needed to pick up her act.

"An hour," Toby said after a pause. "Drink some coffee and I'll send a car for you."

Emily sat there in the dark for a few minutes after she'd hung up. It was eerily quiet. No TV blaring from the upstairs apartment, no footsteps overhead, just the pulse of the late night traffic going past in the rain, and the steady hum of the refrigerator motor that Emily was sure was going to die on her pretty soon. Another thing she had been given from her parent's house. She looked at the clock and did the math. It was just after nine at night.

She reached her hand up, slowly pushing it below the fabric of her grey vest top. She ran her fingers over her smooth skin until she found the heart that Jessica Jackson had carved on her.

She had spent three years working with her task force, tracking the most prolific killer she had ever come across. Three years she had spent at crime scenes, studying reports and sifting through clues; all that work and Jessica had tricked her into walking right into a trap. Now Jessica was in prison and Emily was free.

Funny that. Sometimes it still felt like the other way around.

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><p><em>Emily wakes up on her back still disorientated and it takes her a moment to realise that she's bound to a table. Her eyes burn and then she sees Jessica.<em>

_"I want you to understand Emily, that you are the only one, that I am only committed to you." And then she turns and walks away while Emily is left there to contemplate everything that has happened._

_She starts to think like a detective again, Jessica's other victims had been found after a couple of days. That means she has some time. Two days, maybe three if she's lucky. Emily had told Toby she was going for a psych consult about the newest victim. They would connect it. Toby would connect it, it was the last place that Emily could be traced to._

_Jessica is back again. On the other side of the table. Emily remembers when Jessica had first introduced herself – a Forensic Psychologist who had just moved to the area. Emily should have known then that something was amiss. She had called them up and asked if she could help. It had been hell on all of them and Emily had agreed with her superior that maybe a fresh pair of eyes could help them._

_Jessica had offered to come in and talk, not counselling though she had said, just talk. Emily had been surprised at how many detectives had shown up to her session, her and Toby included. It might have been something to do with the fact that Jessica was utterly beautiful. The funny thing was, it had helped them. Reinvigorated them._

_She pulls the white sheet back so that Emily's chest is exposed and it's only then that Emily realises that, from the waist up, she's naked. Jessica places a hand flat on her breastbone and Emily knows what this means. She has memorised the crime scene photos. It's her signature. Her love heart._

_"You know what comes next sweetheart don't you?" Jessica asks, knowing fine well that Emily does. Emily needs to talk to her, to stall. She makes a gurgled sound in her throat, and her brain scrambles to make her mouth say what she wants to but it doesn't work. Jessica touches her finger to Emily's lips and shakes her head gently._

_"Not just yet," she says softly._

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><p>Alison DiLaurentis didn't want to be back there. In her old home, her childhood home, that was cluttered with reminders of everything that she had wanted to forget. But times were hard, and she financially did not have the capacity to live in a home by herself, so here she was back living with her parents. Her parents who, by some miracle, were still together. She downed her coffee before she headed towards the front door, she had things to do and stories to write and Parker had called her in for an emergency meeting.<p>

The lobby of the _Rosewood Herald_ didn't open until seven thirty, so Alison had to use the loading dock entrance at the south side of the building. She had an hour to kill. She was running on four hours' sleep. She'd spent an hour online trying to get up to speed on the latest missing woman and it had rendered her unable to sleep. She had tossed and turned frequently.

Her blonde hair fell delicately over her right shoulder and she had dressed simply in jeans and a half dressy top. The fifth floor was so quiet that Alison could hear the water cooler buzzing. She scanned the main room before she spotted Parker through the glass of his office. She walked over towards his office and knocked once on the door before he waved her in, never taking his eyes off the computer screen.

Parker looked up and nodded at her, eyes bleary with the lack of sleep. A cup of coffee was in front of him and only dregs of it were left. It didn't look appealing. She sat down and pulled her notebook and pen out of her purse before setting them on the table.

"What's up?"

Parker sighed and rested his head on the palm of his hand, which was stained with ink. "What do you know about the Jessica Jackson task force?" he asked and Alison felt the goose bumps rise on her arms at the very mention of the infamous Jessica Jackson.

Connecting some of the missing dots Alison looked over her shoulder towards the white board where the names of the women were written. "What does the missing women have to do with the Jessica Jackson task force?" she asked as she looked between the white board and Parker, unsure where the direction of this conversation was going.

"Just answer the question Alison. What do you know about the Jessica Jackson task force?" Parker asked again, the impatience was clear in his voice and he cleared his throat hastily expecting her answer.

"Jessica Jackson killed a whole bunch of people, the task force spent three years trying to catch her. Then she kidnapped the lead detective on the task force, Emily Fields. That was over a year ago now, everyone thought she was dead but she wasn't. Jessica turned herself in just like that. She went to jail. But they keep adding victims to her count, I swear I read that it was over seventy people now."

Parker scratched at an invisible mark on his chin before running his hand back over his dark hair. It was meant as an act of thoughtfulness, but Alison knew it was just to make sure there wasn't any hair sticking out of place. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes in his direction because she liked Parker, he had taken her under his wing, almost like a mentor.

"We gave the cops a hard time," Parker admitted as he clicked the mouse at his computer before he folded his hands on the table and looked at Alison meaningfully. Alison nodded her agreement because the press had given the cops an extremely hard time for being given the run around for three whole years and the biggest slap in the face seemed to be that it was a woman who had given them the run around.

"I remember. They got a shit load of negative press and there was a lot of frustration aimed at them but I think it was mostly fear. But in the end, they were heroes. There's that book right? And like a million stories about Emily Fields - the hero detective."

"She's back," Parker stated simply, he unfolded his hands and a smile tugged at his lips at the thought of the possible headlines.

Alison leaned forward over his desk to make sure she had heard correctly. "Shut up, I thought she was on medical leave or something a long those lines?"

"She was. They have talked her into coming back to lead the new task force. The mayor thinks she can catch this new guy as well."

"Just like she caught Jessica Jackson?"

"Precisely. This is where you come in," Parker said. "There was no access last time around, and they think that if they let us in on some of the process then we will be less inclined to point the finger of blame at them, if it goes tits up again that is. So they are letting us profile Fields."

"Why me?" Alison asked skeptically, there was a catch, there had to be. There was always a catch in her world. "I write quirky essays about crime in Rosewood and rescued pets."

Parker just shrugged at her. "They asked for you specifically. You weren't here the last time around and you're a terrific writer." He ran his hand through his hair again, this time finding a stray hair before gliding it back into place. "They don't want some trashy reporter, they want a journalist and that's what you are. You have a knack for this kind of writing and you said you wanted to do something serious."

Alison looked down at her note book, she tapped her black pen against the white blank page for a minute before she laid the pen carefully down onto Parker's table. This was a story that could make or break her career. Brilliant if it wasn't the latter but if she fucked it up, it could end in disaster and not just for her. For Emily Fields, for the _Herald. _

"So do you want the killer task force dream story or should I give it to someone like Gary?"

Alison winced. She and Gary Clarkson had been hired at the same time, and had been competitive from the start. She crossed her arms and considered the rather appealing possibility of not having to write another story about cats being rescued from twenty-foot trees. She wanted the story, desperately; she just didn't want to be the one to fuck it up.

"You follow Emily Fields and write about what you see and what she's like. It will be your only beat. If you want it, that is."

The front page headlines beckoned, Alison could nearly see it already. "It's because I'm also a woman isn't it?"

"A delicate little flower," Parker said with a tired smile. Parker had won a Pulitzer back when he worked for the _Times _in New York. He'd let Alison hold the medallion once. Sitting across from him now she could almost feel the weight of it in her hands again.

"Yeah," she said, her pulse quickening under her skin. "I want it."

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><p><em>Having Emily as a Detective in my other story gave me inspiration for this crime type of story but I just want to clear something up that was pointed out to me in Chapter 7, this is the first time I've used someone to help me with my story ideasbeta it etc. I wasn't aware this story ran pretty close with a Chelsea Cain novel. I haven't read it personally but the person who I have been conversing with/sharing ideas etc with has and that has influenced their ideas on this story. But hopefully with the Emison spin on it you can still enjoy it._

_A lot of it is different obviously but some of the ideas are the same in the book. I'd never take credit for someone else's writing because I wouldn't like it if someone done it to me. Just wanted to clear that up and I really did not know, so sorry again. If it bothers anyone that much because it runs similar to the book I am more than happy to remove the story. If you're still interested in reading though then please do._


	2. First Day

_Can't believe the response for the first chapter, it was amazing seriously. Like I've said this will be a pretty dark story and a slow burn so if you're looking for an Emison quick fix then this isn't the story for you. I tried to get this written as quickly as possible after all the reviews etc please keep leaving them they make me want to update much quicker. Please be gentle though, this is shaping up to be my most challenging story yet and I really want to do it justice so please leave me some feedback I'd love to hear from you all. Hope you guys enjoy!_

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><p>She splashed cold water onto her face before she stood back and looked into the mirror. Emily had never had the ability to appraise her own appearance. Instead her gifts were appraising other people's appearances, empathy and an obsessive, tenacious determination that required her to follow every possible outcome until, like peeling away layers of skin before hitting bone, the truth was uncovered. She turned her eye for detail onto her own image that reflected harshly in the weak bathroom light.<p>

She had sad eyes but she didn't used to. She didn't have sad eyes before she came into contact with Jessica Jackson. She had cheeks that dimpled when she smiled, which didn't happen often anymore, if at all. Her teeth were perfect though and that had to count for something she thought. She smiled at her reflection and cringed. Who was she kidding? But she tried to make an effort.

She had on a simple black blazer and black pants with a crisp white shirt underneath. The blazer which, just over a year ago had fitted perfectly, now hung a little loose around her shoulders and waist. She had flat tied up shoes on because if she ever needed to run she couldn't do that in heels and her socks were clean at least. She appeared, to herself anyway, to look nearly normal.

She hadn't felt properly rested in over a year, she was twenty-seven but felt ten years older. She was losing a battle with sleep. She only spoke to a select few people in her life. She survived mainly on coffee and yet she appeared almost normal. Yes, she could carry this off. She could do this. She was a detective, she reminded herself.

_I can bullshit magnificently._

Eight white oval pills were lined up on the back of the sink. She counted them out one last time before she nestled six of them into the pillbox, padding them carefully into the box so they wouldn't shake when she walked around. Then she put the pillbox into the pocket of her blazer which had a neatly concealed zip. Eight Vicodin.

It should be enough, but sometimes it just wasn't. She had done the maths. She played at controlling her intake, carefully. Just enough that she wasn't addicted, but enough to get her through the day. It was almost like a game now. King of the Hill.

_At least you're off the Ambien and Xanax now_, she thought to herself before she popped two of the chalky pills into her mouth and pushed herself away from the sink. It was time to bullshit magnificently. 

_- x -_

The new task force office had moved into a former bank which Rosewood Police Department had leased just last week. The building was a grey one-storey rectangle with few windows, surrounded on three sides by a parking lot. It looked like the ATM outside still worked.

To Emily it looked depressing as hell. Emily had a look at her watch, she hadn't worn it in months but it still worked. It had just left eight in the morning. Toby had dropped her off at three this morning. "Get a goodnight's sleep," Toby had said, and they had both laughed sarcastically.

She had parked across from the building and stood outside her car, her hands deep in her pockets while she scanned the spectacle that was unfolding outside the bank. A fucking bank. There were already local news outlets parked around the building. No national news yet, but that was just a matter of time. She watched the reporters carefully, dressed in waterproofs and heavy coats. They jerked forward every time a car pulled up.

They were waiting for her, she realised. Not the missing woman. Not the other task force members. _Her_. They wanted her: Jessica Jackson's last victim. She felt the blood in her veins run cold before she lifted her hand and ran her fingers through her hair. She took a deep breath and pushed Jessica from her mind before she trudged towards her new office. An old bank. She still couldn't believe it.

The group of reporters flocked around her as soon as her shoes had hit the concrete of the parking lot. She ignored the questions and the cameramen, blanking them from her system as much as she could. She walked as fast as she could towards the front doors, reach them and you're okay she thought to herself. Don't get distracted by these people. "How does it feel to be back?" "Have you spoken to Jessica Jackson?" "Are you fully recovered?"

She showed her badge to a guard at the door, she didn't need to, not really anyway, everyone knew who she was. She slid past him and soon there was a barrier between her and the sea of reporters outside. The bank to her surprise was buzzing with activity. She surveyed the floor before her eyes fell onto Toby, he was obviously waiting for her. Toby could cut an imposing figure when he wanted, but his kind blue eyes and lopsided grin gave away his warm nature.

"Let me guess, the local news recognised you of all people?" he asked with amusement lacing his voice. She had been the object of much more uncontrolled press attention than that outside and Toby knew it.

"That's nothing."

"Well you would know more than most," Toby agreed. "You ready for this press conference at two?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she answered, albeit unconvincingly.

She walked to their designated room with Toby and looked around the room when she entered. Four of them she had worked with on the first task force, two of them were new. "I'm Emily Fields," she said in a strong voice. They all knew who she was but it gave her something to start with.

She'd worked with some of these detectives night and day for three years and the only one she was really glad to see was Spencer Hastings. A familiar face. She'd seen Spencer a lot over the past year, being her best friend, it came with the territory. Being Toby's wife, it was almost obligatory but Emily was glad to have Spencer. She was glad to have her friends, she was a hundred percent sure that if she didn't have them she wouldn't be standing there. "When do we get the profile Spencer?"

The brunette sipped from her water bottle before she set it on the table with a small clatter. She gave Emily a comforting smile and Emily smiled weakly back. She was the best profiler Emily had ever encountered, and that wasn't her being biased. "Twenty four hours at the most detective," she replied simply with a nod.

"Before we continue this meeting, I should let you know that a journalist from the _Rosewood Herald_ is going to be following me. Her name is Alison DiLaurentis." She watched as everyone except Toby and Spencer stiffened. The last thing detectives wanted was journalists poking their noses in where it wasn't wanted.

"I know," she sighed. "It's strange, but I have to do it and that's that really, you are all welcome to talk with her to a level that you feel comfortable with."

Looking around the room at their faces, she wondered briefly what they all thought of her. She felt bad for them, she always felt bad for the people who knew what she had gone through. It made them feel awkward and she knew it was up to her to make them feel comfortable so they could work together effectively to catch the next psycho. The best tactic she could think of was to act like nothing had happened. Back to work just like that. No grand gestures. Just show them that she was in control.

"Any questions so far?" she asked, almost confidently.

Six hands went up.

_- x -_

"Care to share information on Emily Fields?" Alison said. It was mid morning and she had made her way through the folder that Parker had given her this morning on the task force. Now she sat perched on the desk of Donna Gomez, the mother hen of their working group. Last week when Alison had seen her she had an Afro, now her black hair was woven into a million tiny braids that swung every time she spoke.

She was old school, and Rosewood's crime beat reporter. She was heavy set and hostile. She was usually condescending and Alison had wondered more than a few times if she had an alcohol problem. But she was smart and Alison liked her a lot. She leaned back on her chair and smiled in Alison's direction.

"What took you so long? Come on kid," she said, pushing herself upright and out of her chair that groaned underneath her. "I will buy you a coffee and a crappy sandwich or something in the cafeteria and then we will play journalists."

The cafeteria was in the basement of the building and the food was standard institutional crap. Donna bought them two cheese sandwiches and two coffees before she handed one of each to Alison. Because the cafeteria was so grim, there were very few employees who ever used it, much less sat down to enjoy the atmosphere of it. They found a vacant table easily in the far corner so no one would interrupt them if anyone happened to appear.

Alison opened her notebook before she wrote Emily Fields in the middle of a new page. She smiled dazzlingly up at Donna who had opened her sandwich and was in the middle of taking her first bite. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" she asked playfully. Donna just nodded her agreement.

"Detective Emily Fields was on the Jessica Jackson task force from the beginning right? She and her partner Toby Cavanaugh investigated the first victim?"

Donna nodded again. "Yep, she'd only been a homicide detective for a couple of weeks, Cavanaugh was more experienced than her. It was Fields' first case. Can you imagine that? First case and she draws serial killer of the century. Of course, they didn't know that then."

"And it was Fields who caught the signature right? The love heart mixed up in between all the torso damage?"

Donna moved, causing the table to gently shake between them. "The hearts were very hard to find. Someone would have found them eventually but Fields caught them quicker than most. It was her first case, a big priority to impress you know?"

Alison scribbled down notes furiously as Donna wiped a bit of sandwich away from the corner of her mouth. "You have to realise Alison, that Jessica confused the hell out of everyone. There are things you understand about serial killers. Jessica Jackson didn't conform to ninety nine percent of they things. Her victim profile was all over the place, she used male helpers and the big one: she was a woman."

She didn't know why she thought it but Alison had the feeling that Donna knew Emily personally, maybe even in a friendly manner. "You knew Emily didn't you?" she asked as she opened a sachet of sugar into her coffee.

"She was a good cop, probably still is. She was well liked, she was fair, driven and nobody had anything bad to say about her. For being so young she commanded an incredible amount of respect. She led the task force for two out of the three years and never once asked to be reassigned when many people would have."

Some of it still didn't make sense to Alison. She didn't understand why Jessica had kidnapped the cop who was chasing her, it really wasn't in her best interests. "Okay, well what do you think of the theories that Jessica actually wanted to be stopped?"

"Bullshit," Donna replied simply as she scrunched the saran wrap from her sandwich up into a ball in her hand. "Jessica Jackson is a psycho, lets get that straight. She's not like us little folks. She doesn't do things for rational reasons. She kidnapped Emily Fields for a week, and would have killed her too if Emily hadn't managed to talk her out of it."

"What do you mean talked her out of it?"

"Jessica was the one who called the police, turned herself in. If she hadn't had any medical training, Emily would be dead. One of the EMT's told me that Jessica kept Emily alive for nearly fifteen minutes, doing CPR, before they got there. She saved her life."

Alison couldn't really believe what she was hearing. "Fucking hell. That's got to be one mind fuck that."

Donna smiled gently in Alison's direction before lifting her cup of coffee to her lips. "I would imagine so kid."

_- x -_

Alison detested press conferences. They were fake and almost never revealed anything that was true in the way that made for good writing or good stories. Sure the information was accurate but it was never true. She'd driven over with Parker but had lost him in the sea of people, it was raining, so she stood at the back of the extended tent, huddled underneath it. By the time she got her notebook out the mayor was already speaking about the new task force.

When she looked up she saw Emily Fields. She was standing behind the mayor, leaning against the plain brick wall of the bank, her hands were in her blazer pockets and she didn't really look interested in what Mayor Johnstone was saying. She was watching them, looking from one person to the next. No expression. Just observing.

Her dark hair was longer now than it was in the pictures Alison had seen, it curled at the ends and pooled over her shoulder, but she looked okay, well as okay as someone could be after going through what she had. She didn't look damaged or broken. She just looked like someone waiting on something to happen, like a passenger waiting idly for public transport to arrive. She was beautiful from a distance.

Alison felt an electrical current jolt through her system and she realised quickly that Emily was looking directly at her. They locked eyes for a moment, and she felt something pass between them but she couldn't put her finger on it. Emily gave her a smile, even from her standing point at the back Alison could tell that it was genuine. She smiled back and then Emily went back to scanning the audience. Her body was perfectly still.

At that the Mayor stopped talking and handed over to Emily. Emily looked up, mildly startled, but she quickly recovered before she walked over to the podium. She took her hands out her pockets and rested them on the sides of the wood, the microphone jutting up towards her mouth. She adjusted it before she ran her hand through her hair.

"Okay, can I answer any questions?"

She'd led many press conferences in her pursuit of Jessica Jackson but this was the first since then and she surveyed the nervous faces in the crowd. Some of them looked as anxious as her. Many of them she recognised, there was a few she didn't. She searched the audience for the person who would ask her the question she wanted, the one she wanted for the evening news. Hands reached into the air, straining to be the highest, and faces were red with exertion.

She willed her stomach to settle and called on a young reporter who sat near the front. "Detective, do you think that you are mentally and physically ready to pursue this case?"

Emily winced. "Never felt better," she lied.

"Do you have any physical or mental effects from your ordeal?"

_Ordeal._ That was one way of putting it. "Some sleep problems, but probably on par with the rest of Rosewood's sleeping problems." There were a few smiles in the crowd and it seemed to help her stomach.

She scanned the audience again. Come on. One of you ask the question, it's obvious, it's the one you are all thinking so just ask it she thought to herself as her eyes came to rest on Alison DiLaurentis. Her stomach clenched again. The blonde hadn't wasted much time, she was scribbling something on her notebook. Ambition – that was a good sign. Emily had picked her out of the crowd right away, there was something in the way Alison was watching her.

Alison was now gazing around at the other reporters too. She looked back in Emily's direction. Emily raised her eyebrow. _Ask it. _She watched as Alison hesitated, she almost looked embarrassed, but then she raised her hand and Emily called on her.

"How… how will you and your task force go about catching this guy this time?" she asked.

Emily cleared her throat and looked directly into the television camera's that were focused on her. "We will explore every avenue and every connection that these women may share, we will interview everyone we have to and we will set roadblocks up all over this town." She leaned forward, confidence oozing from her, this was her home, her thing.

"We will catch you." She stepped back from the podium, her hands trembling but it wasn't in fear, it was in _excitement_. She waited a beat before she spoke again. "Thank you."

Alison was hustled into the task force office lobby, most of the press in attendance had rushed off to write their stories and edit their videos to perfection. She had to wait on Parker, she didn't know where he was but she knew he wouldn't be far away. The lobby was in chaos, detectives and cops rushed around carrying boxes from room to room, the place was lit up in the kind of fluorescent light that gave her a headache, the walls were painted in a sickening yellow colour.

"Thanks for the question."

Alison spun around on her heels in the direction of the voice. Emily Fields was standing a few steps behind her. She had her gold badge attached to the chest pocket of her blazer and she was carrying a black notebook under her arm while her hands nursed two hot coffees. One of which she extended to Alison.

The blonde took it eagerly, only then noticing that the detective hadn't brought any sugar. "I thought you were very convincing up there," she said. "You know with your speech and yeah very convincing."

Emily smiled before she took a sip of her coffee, the hot liquid a warm welcome into her cold body. The caffeine rushing through her veins like a freight train. "Thank you, a little intimidation doesn't hurt at times."

"Do you think he will see it?" Alison asked.

Emily shrugged before she took another sip of her coffee; she noticed rather quickly that the blonde hadn't touched hers yet. _Sugar. _Sugar in coffee was for the weaklings. She made a mental note to bring it up at a later time. "Probably, guys like him enjoy the attention that your profession brings."

Alison surveyed Emily playfully; this was not what she had been expecting at all. "What's your favourite movie?" she asked without even thinking about it.

"Mamma Mia," came the reply before the brunette laughed gently.

"Shut up, as if a detective's favourite move is Mamma Mia!" Alison laughed too.

"It's too farcical isn't it?"

"Just a little."

Emily ran her fingers through her hair again before she peered over her shoulder and spotted Toby watching them. "I will think of something better for your first day tomorrow."

"The missing woman is dead isn't she?"

If it was supposed to trick Emily into giving her a reaction, Alison had to admit that it hadn't worked. But there was a tiny glitch in her armour. Emily glanced at the floor so quickly that Alison would have missed it if she hadn't been looking at the brunette's eyes. Emily recovered quickly though and gave her a small smile. "We all have every hope that she is still alive," she said without much conviction.

"Why did you agree to the profile now? Are you and the Mayor buddies or something? I mean I get why the mayor wanted you back but you must have had every writer in the country wanting your story. 'Hero Cop saved from the clutches of a Female Demon".'

Emily took another gulp of her coffee, it was almost finished now. "You're already working on your headline? I like it."

"Why agree to the profile now?" Alison asked again, Emily's face still gave nothing away.

"You're going to help me do my job and I'm going to help you do yours."

Alison raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

Emily nodded as she swallowed the last of her coffee, the blonde still hadn't touched hers. "Yep, but we can talk about that at the nine o'clock meeting I've been told not to miss tomorrow morning." She held up the notepad she had been carrying under her arm. "I've got to get back to work."

She took a few steps before she turned back towards the blonde. "Alison DiLaurentis right?" Alison nodded although she had a feeling Emily already knew her name.

"You can call me Emily, well except when it seems more appropriate to call me detective. Wait, are you a morning person?"

"No."

"Good." Emily turned and walked off in the direction of one of the rooms that was buzzing with activity, throwing her empty coffee cup into one of the trash bags that was attached to the handle of a nearby door. "See you tomorrow morning Alison DiLaurentis," she called over her shoulder. The way the blonde's name rolled easily off her tongue unsettled her.

"See you tomorrow Em...detective. Emily," Alison finally called back before she looked for a place to sit her untouched coffee.


	3. Oh, Where Do We Begin?

_You guys are awesome! (I will probably say that every chapter because it's true). Paige is going to feature in this story, she will be minor character in the big picture but she's needed for some background on Emily and she's the person I chose to be a bit part. All the flashbacks are in italics I think I forgot to say that already and they will reveal what happened to Emily for the most part. Sorry this chapter is dialogue heavy but it's all necessary, on the plus side most of it's between Ali and Emily. Anyway enjoy the chapter I hope and leave me some of your thoughts/feedback!_

* * *

><p>It was almost eight at night and it was dark, and Emily's whole body hurt. It was all the standing around outside doing roadblock checks. Or maybe it was just the mind numbing boredom. Wendy Somers had been gone for more than twenty four hours. And after a day of interviews, searches and dead ends it had come to this: waiting outside for something to happen. The crushing sense of impotence was hard to swallow for Emily.<p>

Emily used her thumb and forefinger to open the little brass box that was still in her pocket and slipped out a Vicodin. She knew them from other pills by the feel, the size and the little cut mark. She didn't know if the pain was all in her head anymore or if she could still really feel it. If anyone saw, it would look like a mint. She didn't really care. The bitter taste of too much coffee hugged the back of her throat and tongue.

They had a witness who saw Wendy Somers at six forty five, her work mates had said she left work at six fifteen which begged the question of what was she doing for the thirty minutes in between. A moment later Spencer and another detective called Rachel walked up behind her. Emily liked Rachel, they had worked closely together the first time around and she hadn't changed much. Both of them were carrying a coffee in a white paper cup with a red lid, they were both wearing waterproof jackets. Emily was jealous that they had jackets.

Spencer nudged Emily's arm before handing her the coffee that was in her hand. "What's that?" Emily asked.

"The coffee you wanted about fifteen minutes ago." Emily looked non committally down at the paper cup, she didn't want the coffee anymore. She was actually feeling pretty good right now.

"Uh, no, Em," Spencer said. "I had to walk a few blocks for this in this weather and you are drinking it. No get out of jail passes on this one I'm afraid."

Emily pondered her next words carefully. "Okay Spence, but I'm pretty sure I asked for a skinny flavoured latte."

"Don't push it Em," Spencer stated, although the smile that threatened her face was clear to see. Yep, Emily Fields could still pull this detective thing off.

_- x -_

The phone was ringing when Emily finally got home. She had an armload of reports and a stack of public tips that she planned to read that night, she stacked them perilously on top of her empty bookcase. She was surprised when they didn't topple over onto the floor in a messy heap. She picked up the cordless phone that sat next to the bookcase and perched herself on the arm of the couch when she looked at the caller ID.

"It's me," Paige greeted her.

"Hey, Paige," Emily answered her ex, grateful for the distraction at least for a little while. She walked through to the kitchen, got a bottle of water out of the fridge and opened it.

"How was your first day back then?"

"Pretty unproductive, and strange," Emily admitted as she unclipped her gun from her belt and set it down on the old coffee table. She sat down fully on the couch before she fumbled around for the TV remote.

"I saw you on TV, you were very intimidating." Emily heard her hesitate for a second before her voice floated down the line again. "My parent's are coming on Sunday, they'd really like to see you again Emily. Considering everything."

She swallowed thickly. "You know I can't come over on Sundays, Paige."

Emily could hear her sigh at the other end of the phone. "Because you will be with _her_." It wasn't even a question anymore, it was merely a statement.

They had been through this countless times before and there wasn't anything left to say about the matter anymore. "You know how weird that is Em, don't you?" the vibration of Paige's voice in her ear made Emily feel something and it was better than nothing. "What do you two even talk about?"

She had asked before and Emily had never told her. She would never tell her.  
>"I just don't know how you are going to get better when you haven't rinsed her from your life." <em>I'm not going to get better Paige, <em>she thought. "Are you at least going to come and see me soon?"

"As soon as I can," Emily replied. They both knew what that meant really. Emily felt the splinters of another headache brewing at the base of her skull. "There's this journalist though," she continued. "Alison DiLaurentis. She's doing a profile on me for the _Rosewood Herald. _If she's any good, which I think she is, she will probably call you."

"Okay," Paige sounded weary. "What should I tell her?"

"Tell her you won't talk to her, and then later when she tries again, because she will, tell her anything she wants to know."

"You want _that_ published in the _Herald?"_

"Yep," Emily answered simply.  
><em><br>"_What are you up to, Emily?"

Emily took a gulp of water from the plastic bottle. "Closure," she said with a deflated laugh.

* * *

><p><em>Jessica doesn't let her sleep that first night, so Emily is already losing track of time. She injects Emily with some sort of drug and then leaves her for hours. Emily's heart races and she can do nothing but stare at the sterile ceiling and feel the pulse throb in her throat while her hands shake at her side.<em>

_She tries for a while to keep tabs on the time by counting numbers, but her mind drifts and she loses track of the numbers pretty quickly. She thinks she's been here for more than twenty-four hours but she really can't say so she stares, and blinks, and breathes. And waits._

_Emily doesn't hear her come in but suddenly Jessica is there, smiling beside her. She runs her hand through Emily's hair which is damp with sweat._

_"It's time for your medicine sweetheart," Jessica purrs. With a swift motion she pulls the tape from Emily's mouth and drops the pills in one by one before she presses Emily's jaw shut while caressing her throat, forcing Emily to swallow them like a dog._

_"What are they?" Emily croaks._

_"Shh, you don't get to talk yet," Jessica says. She turns for a brief second until she's hovering over Emily and Emily can feel Jessica pressed against her. Their breaths mingle, Emily's much more laboured._

_"They're looking for you," Jessica says, her voice almost teasing. "But they're not going to find you."_

* * *

><p>Alison pulled into one of the freshly painted visitor parking spots outside the new task force office building. She was just under thirty minutes early. Alison was never early. She didn't even like people who were early but she had woken up early with that burning hum in her stomach that she usually got when she was about to write a really good story. A fog had settled overnight and the air was heavy and wet. The chilly humidity soaked into everything, her car included.<p>

She waited in the car for a few more minutes simply watching people go in and out of the building. She never saw Emily so she imagined the brunette was already inside. She bit her fingernail gently before drawing her hand away from her mouth, she hated being nervous. She checked her reflection in the rear view mirror. She was dressed entirely in black, with her blonde hair pulled over her shoulder. _Jesus_, she thought. _I look like a ninja with blonde hair. _But there was nothing to be done now. She bit the bullet and went inside.

They had worked all night on transforming the bank into an acceptable looking working area. The boxes from yesterday were now all flattened and stacked by the door, empty, waiting to be taken away. The desks sat in pairs, facing each other, each equipped with a computer. Enlarged photographs of the four women were tacked to a wall sized bulletin board. Several maps were attached next to them, dotted with multi coloured pushpins. A copier was noisily spitting out paper and coffee cups were everywhere, on every surface there was an empty paper cup.

She counted three detectives and they all had a phone attached to their ear, another brunette sat next to a smaller white board, it looked like her own, and she immediately noticed Alison. She smiled before she got up off her chair and headed in Alison's direction.

"I'm Spencer Hastings, I think I know why you are here, but I will let you tell me anyway."

"I'm here to see Emily Fields," Alison said. "Alison DiLaurentis, I have an appointment with her, if you could call it that." She pulled her press pass out of her purse and let it dangle in the space between the both of them. Spencer merely glanced it before she went over to her desk and picked up her phone. Alison saw her dial in an extension number before she announced Alison's arrival into the handset.

"You can go back, her office is the first one on the right hand side," Spencer said as she motioned with her right hand before turning her attention back to the white board she had been working on. Spencer didn't really know what to make of Alison. Quite frankly she looked too pretty to be a journalist for the _Herald. _

Alison made her way through the old bank towards Emily's office. The blinds were pulled up and she could see Emily sitting at her desk, sifting through some papers, a small crease forming in the middle of her forehead. The door was ajar and Alison knocked on it gently, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach. She didn't know if it was nerves, excitement or just being in the presence of Emily herself. Probably all three.

"Good morning Alison," Emily said, standing up before offering her hand. She went in a few steps before she took the hand Emily had offered. The brunette's palm felt warm against her own, clammy even, and Alison wondered if Emily was nervous too.

"Sorry I'm a little early."

Emily's eyebrow quirked up in the blonde's direction. "Are you? I hadn't noticed"

"About twenty minutes, yeah."

Emily shrugged gently at her and then just stood there. Alison counted two empty coffee cups on her desk. _Oh God. _She was waiting for Alison to sit down first. _Right._ Alison scrambled into one of the dark blue leather armchairs that faced onto Emily's cluttered desk.

She sat down, the leather wasn't very comfortable underneath her. The office was small, just big enough for a large wooden desk and two armchairs in front of it. There was a photo frame facing Emily so she couldn't see what it contained. A small window overlooked the street, where apart from cars speeding past, Alison couldn't see anything else, it wasn't much of a view.

Emily was wearing dressy jeans today, Alison noticed, they were black though so the blazer that hung over the brunette's chair went with it rather casually. She was also wearing a white shirt that was rolled up to her elbows. Alison felt like she was at the bank about to ask for a loan.

"So how do we do this?"

Emily placed her hands in front of her on the desk, palms down. "You tell me."

Her expression was friendly, welcoming even. Alison noticed how dark Emily's eyes were, she had a soft round face that looked a little thinner than the pictures Alison had seen, her hair shone around her face, her teeth were perfectly white and when she smiled her cheeks dimpled ever so slightly. Alison thought she was actually quite stunning up close.

"Well," Alison said slowly, "I'll need access," there was a pause as Emily looked at her. "To you…obviously… that's what I meant." _God Alison do not fuck this up on your first day._

Emily nodded. "That's fine, but it can't get in the way of me doing my job. If it doesn't then access is all yours. "

"You don't have a problem with that? Me following you around with a notebook while you are trying to do your job?"

"Not particularly."

"And I'll want to talk to people around you," she examined Emily's face. It remained passive and relaxed, unconcerned even like she wasn't bothered about Alison intruding on her life like this. "Friends or your ex for instance."

Emily didn't flinch, she had seen it coming a mile away. "That's fine. I don't know if she will talk to you but you are welcome to try and ask her anyway."

"And Jessica Jackson."

Emily's face constricted just a little, Alison would have missed it if she hadn't been looking for it. "Jessica doesn't speak to journalists or reporters. None."

"I can be very persuasive." Alison sounded confident but she wasn't, not really. The thought of talking to Jessica Jackson made her feel nauseous but she knew if she wanted the perfect story she would have to do it.

Emily traced an imaginary circle on her desk with the tip of her finger. "She's in maximum security. She can only see her lawyers, cops and family. And since she doesn't have any family that leaves only cops and lawyers and you are neither."

"Well I could write to her, a little friendly hello?"

Emily leaned back slowly in her chair before she looked at Alison, really looked at her. Her stomach contracted a little and it was the first time she had ever really noticed how attractive the journalist was. "No."

"You can follow me around, you can talk to Paige and the people I work with. I will even talk to you about my friends and this current case. If you really want to you can even call up my doctor but not Jessica. She's still the subject of an on going investigation and asking her questions would just get in the way of that. It's a deal breaker."

"Okay, detective," there was a pause before the blonde spoke again. "But what makes you think that if I did write a letter to her, you'd ever find out about it?"

Emily smiled at Alison warmly. "Trust me Alison, I'd find out."

Alison stared at her. It wasn't the fact that Emily didn't want her talking to Jessica Jackson that bothered her. She had been through some sort of hell that Alison would probably never understand. Of course Emily didn't want her tormentor interviewed for this newspaper story. What bothered Alison was the growing certainty that this was a bad idea for Emily Fields. That Emily had things to hide and that she was the one who was going to find them out.

"One last deal breaker," Emily spoke.

_Here we go. _"Okay?"

"I want Sunday's off, one day of privacy for myself. You get the other six days of the week."

Alison nodded a few times. She could write this profile, and she could write it well. Who was she kidding? She could write it brilliantly. The story was all hers. Emily Fields was all hers. "Okay," she agreed. "Where do we start?"

"The beginning," Emily said. "Rosewood High School. First victim was a teacher, second victim was a substitute teacher maybe we can find a connection there."

Alison smiled grimly, she'd been there a month ago to do a piece for the paper. She didn't think she'd ever have to go back after that.

"Oh, and Detective Cavanaugh will be joining us."

Alison tried to hide her disappointment; she wanted Emily Fields all to herself, all the better to pick the brunette's mind. Before she could say anything though Toby appeared in the doorway of Emily's office, stretching a leather jacket over his broad shoulders. He thrust his hand in Alison's direction.

"Toby Cavanaugh," he said. He reminded Alison of a human teddy bear.

She shook his hand, attempting to match his grip. "Alison DiLaurentis. I'm doing a story on – "

"I know and you're early," was all he said.

Emily smiled.

_- x -_

Alison stood as she looked at the southern side of building that was next to the sidewalk, Emily and Toby were a few steps in front of her heading further down the sidewalk and she was lost in her own memories of the place.

"Sorry," she said. "I went here nearly eight years ago."

Emily raised her eyebrows. "You went to Rosewood High School too?" Alison nodded softly. "So did I, only it was nearly nine years ago for me. We must have went to the same school at the same time and never met." _Small world, _Emily thought to herself as she walked further on.

"This is it," Emily said when she came to a stop. "This is where the dogs lost her scent so the guy must have been around here somewhere." Emily spun around to Alison. "Did you walk home from school?"

"Just until I got a car." Alison had no idea what the relevance of this was. Emily had no idea how she couldn't remember Alison DiLaurentis at school, even if the blonde was a year younger than her. She should remember.

"Of course, makes sense. Anyway, first victim, he sees her and he comes out on the other side of the hedge. Over here." Emily walked along the hedge to the far side almost around the corner of the street. "Then he makes it like he was just turning the corner and boom he walks into her," she added re enacting the scene.

Alison was mesmerised at how quickly the brunette's mind had gone into detective mode. It was something else, she was a natural and Alison could see now why Emily had commanded so much respect that she was allowed to head the task force searching for Jessica Jackson. She also wrote the word boom down on her page. It was quirky.

"So, he knew her," Toby commented as he looked up and down the sidewalk.

"Yep, he knew her," agreed Emily. "Or them if we're talking plural, but apart from the first two none of the rest have connections here, at least none that we have found. I will tell the rest of the team to keep looking."

"Did you like Rosewood High?" Emily asked as she turned back towards Alison who was scribbling something down on her notebook.

Alison groaned gently. "It was okay, there was some things I liked. I was in the Drama Club. I was pretty good at that. I was back here just over a month ago doing a story on a student who rescued their dog from the river." Alison had thought he was heroic, that was until she researched Emily Fields. Now she was standing in front of someone _really_ heroic.

"The Drama Club teacher has been here for a while," Emily said. "MacKay. I never had him but I knew of him, can't even remember what he looked like."

"Yeah," Alison mumbled. "I had him."

Alison opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Emily's cell phone that was ringing in her jeans. She pulled it out the pocket and pressed down quickly on the screen. She listened for a minute and Alison felt the shift in the atmosphere. She wasn't sure if it was in Emily's body language or a change in the air, or maybe just in her mind but she knew for certain something had happened.

"They find Wendy Somers?" Toby asked, his face impassive.

Emily just nodded. "You want to drop her back off at the bank?" Toby asked as he looked back over at Alison.

Alison stared at Emily, willing her to let her come along. _She can come. She can come. She can come. _She longed for the brunette's lips to form the words. Her first crime scene with Emily Fields. A first person account. It would make a great lead for the profile, she would get to see Emily Fields in full detective action. She smiled feeling the nervous hum in her stomach again, then caught herself and quickly forced the pleasure out of her face but Emily had seen it.

She looked at Emily, her eyes pleading, but Emily's face showed nothing. Emily started walking towards the car, with Toby a few steps behind. _Fuck. _Her first fucking day and she'd blown it with her already, Emily probably thought she was a complete inconsiderate idiot.

"She can come," Emily stated, still walking. She turned and glanced purposefully back at Alison. "But expect the worst and don't write anything trashy about her or the profile is off."

_- x -_

"Alison," Emily called.

The blonde was working furiously at an empty desk to finish an observation in her notebook and she made a motion with her finger that Emily would have her full attention in a second. Emily smirked at the green tinge to her face. A person's first crime scene was always the worst. Most people threw up, Alison had been no exception to that. She'd settled since they arrived back at the task force office.

"Look at me," Emily said. Alison looked up, her large blue eyes sparkling under the bright office lights. Emily suddenly felt very protective of this blonde haired woman who had pretended to be so much tougher than she was. She held eye contact with her until Alison finally focused on her. "You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last, it's nothing to worry about. Okay?"

Alison nodded gently, her eyes wandering back down to her notebook. "I know. Did you throw up at your first crime scene too?"

"No."

"Of course not," Alison laughed gently before she wrote down something else. Emily couldn't see what it was but she imagined it was about her not throwing up. She smiled softly down at the blonde. She was glad Alison couldn't see her doing that.

It was just after five when Emily made her way out her office and towards the exit doors, there was nothing much she could do, and Toby had almost ordered her to go home and get some rest. She was just about to pull the door towards her when she noticed it. The pen on the empty desk. It was sleek and silver, she picked it up and rolled it over her fingers, Alison DiLaurentis' name was engraved on it and Emily imagined it had cost a few bucks. She turned and logged into one of the computers.

_- x -_

The first thing Alison did when she arrived home from the task force office was unzip her boots and kick them off into a pile of other shoes that lay in the corner of her room. They were stained and reeking of bleach from the crime scene, the boots were ruined. She tugged her top over her head and was in the middle of unzipping her black skinny jeans when she heard the loud rap on the door.

She slipped down the stairs slowly, trying to readjust her top before she reached the bottom, she looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Emily Fields standing on her front porch. The brunette was looking around Alison's neighbourhood, taking everything in. Emily was nothing if not observant, she thought to herself before she cleared her throat. She opened the door just as Emily turned back around.

"You forgot your pen." Emily held out the silver pen in her hand. Alison couldn't even remember leaving it but she leaned out to take it nonetheless, her fingers brushing against the detectives. Emily clocked it immediately, eyes flying downwards.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she stuffed it into her jeans pocket, she immediately regretted it as she rocked awkwardly on her heels. It was always good to have something in your hand when you were nervous. She still didn't really know why Emily made her feel nervous, the brunette had been nothing but lovely to her all day.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Emily spoke as she turned and stepped down the porch steps, Alison was confused at the abrupt departure. How had Emily even found her house? That was a silly question, she told herself off in her head. Of course she found your house _she's a detective. _

She was broken from her thoughts when Emily turned back in her direction, the brunette's hand was on the handle of her car door, her hair sat gently over one shoulder. "Oh and Alison?" she called.

"Yeah?"

"My favourite movie is One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

"I like that movie too." Alison wasn't completely sure if Emily was joking or not but she got the feeling she wasn't. And Alison really did like that movie too.

"Good. I will see you tomorrow, get some sleep and try not to think too much about you hurling today," Emily said with a smile as she closed the car door on herself.

Alison felt her cheeks redden at the mention of the crime scene incident. She waited and gave a hesitant wave as Emily pulled away from her street. "I will see you tomorrow Emily Fields."


	4. Progress

_I'm seriously overwhelmed about the reviews this story has received. This will be the quickest I have ever hit 100 it's quite incredible so a huge thank you to everyone. This chapter is very much character building so I'm sorry if you think it's boring but it has to be done otherwise yeah haha. __Anyway enjoy and please follow/fave and review! It's nice to be nice._

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><p><em>On what Emily thinks is the third day, Jessica drops the pills in her mouth and she swallows them without fighting it. There's no point. Jessica's said nothing to her today. Emily waits for the pills to kick in, every fiber in her body alert to the change. It starts in her throat, the tingling sensation before it spreads. She doesn't know what the pills are but she suspects a painkiller and some sort of hallucinogen.<em>

_Her mind starts to go and she thinks she sees a dark haired man in the basement with them but he's just a shadow. He stands behind Jessica and then he's gone. But it could just all be a hallucination. Nothing is real to her anymore. She imagines the crime scene._

_Toby and Spencer would have traced her to the big house that Jessica had leased. Forensics, media, evidence markers and crime tape. She moves through the crime scene, directing the task force as if it was just another victim. "It's been too long already," she tells Spencer. "I'm dead."_

_They are all so desperate, grimly looking between each other. "Lighten up! It's all good. At least we know who the hell she is now. Right?" They stare at her blankly. Spencer cries. Hanna shoves against the technician at the door trying to get through. "You have to see this is connected to the case," Emily tells them, her voice full of anxiety. "It's not a coincidence."_

_"Emily, look at me."_

Jessica. She's back in the basement again. Reality folds and Emily doesn't want to give in to her but she doesn't really have a choice so she turns her head and gives Jessica the attention. There's nothing in her face. No anger, no pleasure, no nothing.

"Are you scared?" Jessica asks.

_Emily thinks she sees a flash of emotion in her eyes. She's pretty sure that it's sympathy but then it's gone. "Whatever you think this is going to be like Emily," she whispers, "it's probably going to be worse."_

* * *

><p>Day three. No clues, nothing to go on and Emily awoke from an unsatisfying sleep to find Spencer standing over her. The office light was on and Emily was resting back in her office chair.<p>

"You spent the night," Spencer said simply. Emily blinked the sleep from her eyes before looking around her office.

"It's just after seven." Spencer stated before she placed a paper cup of coffee on the desk just in front of Emily. Emily's head throbbed, her teeth hurt and she rolled her neck to one side as it popped. Spencer was dressed smartly as always. She smelled of perfume. The smell filled the air, it made Emily think of summer time.

Emily picked up the coffee and took a small sip. It was strong just the way she liked it but she winced as it went down anyway. "You're here early," Emily said as she looked up at her best friend.

"We found a connection to the women, all of them went to Rosewood High School, not as teachers but as student's." Emily quirked an eyebrow as she rubbed the grit out of her eyes, everything becoming much clearer after she did. "So Toby wants to go back."

It made sense so Emily nodded in Spencer's direction as she took another drink of the coffee. The caffeine spread a welcoming warmth through her body. There was nothing quite like the first coffee of the day.

"So what are we still doing here?" Emily stated as she stood, her body groaned in protest, she'd been asleep in the same position for too long. She watched Spencer smile at her gently.

"Hanna is bringing you a change of clothes over, she will be here just shortly. I called her before she went to work."

_- x -_

"Why did they call you?" Emily asked as Hanna stood in front of her, buttoning up her shirt slowly, she was one of the few people Emily let touch her anymore. It just felt wrong but she could handle it with Hanna for some reason.

"Because I know exactly what you like to dress in at work duh."

Emily slipped a Vicodin into her mouth. She didn't generally like to take them on an empty stomach but she couldn't see a decent breakfast in her immediate future.

"How many of them are you taking?" Hanna asked, concern lacing her voice as she watched Emily slip the pillbox back into her pocket out of view. Emily tilted her head in Hanna's direction, pondering the question. "Not as many as I'd like to at times."

Hanna buttoned the last button before she looked Emily straight in the eye, Emily could see her jaw working, teeth grinding. Her clear blue eyes were hard. "Em, don't assume because you are my best friend that I will let this continue. I will tell your superior if I have to and then you will be back on medical leave, and I don't think you want that." Tough love, sometimes, it had to be done.

Emily nodded at her best friend. "I know," she agreed and Hanna raised her eyebrows.

"This thing with Jessica that you have," Hanna said through gritted teeth. "These weekly meetings, it's fucked up. I don't give a crap how many more victims she gives you. At some point," she looked Emily right in the eye. "You have to let it go. Focus on something else."

Emily's mind went to Alison. She told herself off.

"I need more time," she said carefully, gauging Hanna's reaction. "I've got it under control Han." Hanna handed her a clean jacket and watched as Emily pulled it over her shoulders. She sighed and shook her head gently before she leaned up to kiss Emily's cheek.

"You better fucking well have."

_- x -_

Alison sat on her couch near the window, watching the pedestrian lunch time traffic go in and out of her street. She'd called Paige McCullers earlier in the morning and had been told to call back, the woman didn't seem very thrilled about talking to her at all. Alison wasn't surprised by that, she'd expected it even, but she'd been persistent enough and managed to get her to agree to a call back. It was better than nothing.

"I still can't believe you're working with Emily Fields, what is she like?"

Aria Montgomery's voice broke Alison from her thoughts. She thought about what Emily had been like with her the past three days and could think of only good things to say.

"Truthfully? She's been amazing. I expected a lot of hostility given the nature of the profile but she's been great with me," Alison admitted with a warm smile. "A willing participant."

"Then what's the problem?" Aria asked, she could read Alison too well, she'd known the blonde too long and she knew something was nagging her best friend.

"I don't want her to get hurt and I have a feeling this profile is going to uncover a lot of things that could and probably will hurt her, so I don't know why she agreed to it in the first place."

"Maybe she needs to get everything out in the open, off her chest?" Aria offered as an explanation before she stood and grabbed down for her purse. "I need to go but call me later, we need a drink or something."

Alison nodded in agreement. "Can you post this for me?" she leaned over and handed Aria the letter, watching as the petite brunette's eyes widened at the address.

"You've written a letter to Jessica Jackson? Does Emily know?"

She'd spent thirty minutes on the letter, writing a draft then rewriting it, it still didn't sound great but it was the best she could come up with and she knew she had to post it before she lost her nerve.

"No, she said she would find out but I hope she was just calling my bluff." She stood and hugged Aria before she walked the brunette to the door.

She turned on the midday news and Emily Fields' face filled the screen, there was an announcement at the bottom that this was breaking news. Emily looked weary like she hadn't slept last night. But she'd sorted her hair and her faced held a certain authority. She watched Emily grimly confirm the death of Wendy Somers and admit that they were still searching for clues. Then the TV switched back to two local news anchors who spoke in great detail about the monster at large.

She pulled the newspaper that Aria had brought out the plastic bag. She always felt butterflies when she looked at a story she had written. It was a mix of anticipation and fear, embarrassment and pride. Sometimes she didn't even like to read what she had written when it was in print. The task force story was the first she had ever had on the front page.

She sat back on the couch and with a nervous, heavy breath she unfolded the _Herald. _There it was on the first page. An aerial photograph of the crime scene was above her article. With a startled laugh she recognised herself, a small figure in the photo, luckily she wasn't throwing up at that point. Standing next to her amongst the chaos was Emily Fields.

She was delighted. She found herself wishing she could tell her parents about her journalistic triumph but they had left for their vacation and wouldn't be back for another two weeks. She didn't want to bother them, she would let them know when they got back or if they called later in the day.

Alison traced the newspaper image of Emily with her fingers and found herself wondering if the detective had seen it yet. The thought made her feel self-conscious but she shook it loose. This was her thing, just as much as being a detective was Emily's thing. She picked up the phone and dialed Parker's number, she had remembered something Donna had told her the other day.

"I'm just about to go into a meeting. What is it?" he answered curtly.

"How do I get a nine – one – one recording?" Alison asked.

"Which one?"

"Jessica Jackson's," she replied. "Have you heard it?"

"They didn't release it, we ran a transcript."

"Well I want the actual recording, so can you get it?"

Parker made a sighing noise. "Let me try. I have to go." He hung up without a goodbye.

Alison couldn't resist, she dialed Emily's number on her phone and was thrilled when the brunette answered on the third ring.

"Hello Alison, I didn't forget about our interview later don't worry." Alison didn't think Emily sounded as tired as she looked.

"No it's not that, I just wondered if you had read my article on the Wendy Somers crime scene?"

"I liked it very much, but I do have to go right now. Kind of have a psycho to catch, I will see you later." Emily hung up and Alison squirmed with pleasure on the couch. Emily had liked her story.

She was on a roll. She called Paige back on the land line, Emily had said that Paige worked from home on a Friday so she could call back there, sure enough, Paige picked up.

"Hi," Alison said. "It's Alison DiLaurentis again. You said to call back earlier in the morning."

"Oh, hi again," Paige answered.

"Is this a better time? I'd really love to talk to you."

There was a brief silence on the line. Then Paige sighed. "Can you come over just now?"

Alison beamed. "That sounds great. Where do you live?"

She got directions, pulled on her skinny jeans, a red and white striped t-shirt and red ankle boots, grabbed her black pea coat and headed out the front door.

_- x -_

Paige McCullers opened the door and extended her hand in greeting, Alison took it. In her late twenties she had dark hair and an athletic body. She was wearing black leggings, a sports t-shirt and sneakers. She wasn't what Alison had been expecting. She followed Paige into the house before they walked to the kitchen. Paige had already made coffee and had sugar and cream out, she pulled a stool out of the kitchen island and motioned for Alison to sit.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

Alison pulled her phone out from her purse and set it on top of the kitchen island. "Do you mind if I record this? It's easier than writing everything down." Paige nodded before she took a sip of her coffee.

"So," Alison said. Dive right in. Full speed ahead. "It must have been hard."

Paige stood up before she walked over towards the coffee pot. "When Emily was missing? Yes. She called me you know, right before she went to see Jessica. We'd separated a month before, it was all mutual but she still lived here, we were trying to find her an apartment. Then she didn't come home and I could feel something was wrong."

This was news to Alison, as far as she'd been concerned they'd been together until after it all happened. Paige looked at Alison with a forced smile. "Then I finally called Toby and they found Emily's car outside her house but the house was empty and that's when it all started to fall apart."

"A week is a long time," Alison offered.

Paige sat back down beside her, a new cup of coffee in her hand. "They all thought she was gone." She said matter - of – factly. "People started laying bouquets in our garden, sad notes, ribbons. All that kind of thing."

"Why did Jessica do it, in your opinion?"

Paige sat perfectly still for a minute before she ran her hand through her hair. "I have no idea, but whatever Jessica was trying to do, she succeed at it. She wouldn't have ended it until she had. She's not that type of person. When Emily got home she didn't want to leave the house, she didn't even want to see Spencer, Hanna or even Toby. She had panic attacks, couldn't ever sleep, she was a mess."

Alison's stomach clenched and she was ashamed that it wasn't for Paige. It was for Emily. The thought of what the brunette must have gone through twisted something inside her, something that she hadn't ever felt in her life before. She wanted to wrap Emily in a hug and never let her go.

"Three months after she was released from hospital, Toby came over to see us," Paige continued, there was glassy tears in her eyes. "He told Em that Jessica had agreed to give up more victims, people who were still missing as part of a plea bargain. But she would only give the locations to Emily. She's a control freak, I think she likes the thought of having control over Emily even from jail. Emily didn't have to do it though but she was determined. So Emily goes to see her every Sunday as part of the deal."

Alison's mouth hung open slightly. Emily _still _went to see Jessica Jackson and that's why she'd wanted Sunday's off. It wasn't for a day of privacy like she had told Alison it was to allow her to go to the prison to see Jessica. Alison wasn't really sure what to make of it. It was all kinds of fucked up and yet in a way she understood why Emily did it.

"Do you still talk to Emily?" Alison asked.

"Every other day over the phone."

Alison took a long breath, she had to ask because Paige had been brutally honest with her. "Why are you telling me all this, Paige?"

She frowned in Alison's direction like she was thinking something over. "Because Emily told me to."

_- x -_

Alison had changed her outfit four times before heading to Emily's apartment. Now she stood face to face with her wishing she'd gone for something a little less dressy. But Emily had seen her, and now it was too late to head back towards her car.

"Hi," Alison stated. "Thanks for letting me come over."

It was just after eight at night and Emily was wearing what Alison imagined was her house clothes. Sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt that hung loose over her frame. She still pulled it off.

Alison glanced down at her own outfit, black skinny jeans, heels and a top with her denim jacket pulled over her shoulders. A thick necklace hung around her neck. She should have gone for something simpler, she actually thought on some subconscious level she was trying to impress Emily. Emily opened the door fully and stepped aside so Alison could enter her apartment.

She tried not to let her face fall when she saw the half empty apartment that Emily lived in. There were no books or old magazines waiting to be thrown out. There was a black leather couch that looked new and across from it sat a matching black leather chair. There wasn't much personality to the place. The only thing that Alison noticed was a picture of Emily with two other women. The brunette she recognised from the task force office the other day, the blonde she didn't know.

"Have a seat. Are you allowed to drink during interviews?" Emily asked.

"Oh, we can drink a little," she assured Emily with a smile.

The coffee table was covered with police files, all gathered up and stacked into two neat piles. She wondered if Emily was naturally neat or whether it was for her benefit. She sat on the leather couch and dug out the book that had been written about Emily's ordeal with Jessica. Jessica Jackson was on the front. If beauty sold books, then a beautiful female killer made a best seller.

Emily returned with a bottle of wine and a glass that she sat on the edge of the coffee table next to the book, Alison had no idea how Emily knew she liked wine. The brunette herself had a beer in her hand and she sat down on the chair across from Alison. Alison pulled her phone from her purse.

"Can I record this?" Emily nodded before she brought the bottle of beer to her lips.

Alison waited for her to say something about the book. Emily waited for her to ask her a question about the book. Jessica looked perilously from under it's title. Alison pressed record and opened her notebook. She'd hoped that the book would provoke some kind of response from Emily. It didn't. She just took another drink of her beer as she gazed at Alison.

"I talked to Paige today. Did she tell you about our interview?" She took a sip of the white wine as Emily sat her bottle onto the coffee table.

"She did."

"What did she say?"

"She said she was worried that she had been too honest about me and my," she searched for the right words, "my relationship with Jessica."

Alison nodded. "Relationship," she repeated slowly. "It's a strange word that."

Emily shook her head. "Not really if you think about it. Cops and criminals, cops and journalists." Her mouth curved into a small smile. "I don't mean to suggest that we are dating by the way."

Emily was sitting back in the chair, legs crossed, her right one was on the floor and she had her arms on each arm of the chair. While she might have been trying to look relaxed, Alison could tell that she was definitely not relaxed. She tried to observe Emily without staring. The fit of Emily's t-shirt, her dark hair that curled around both shoulders, she had blue Superman socks on. Alison had to hold in her giggle.

The truth was that Emily Fields knocked her off her game. It was something Alison wasn't used to. Usually in interviews the power was all hers, but more and more when she spent time with Emily, she found herself off kilter. There was something about the brunette that Alison was completely attracted to. _It's because you haven't been with anyone in a while that's all it is._

Emily was looking at her. That was the thing with interviews, everyone was always waiting for someone to say something. It was like a long, uncomfortable first date. "Why did Jessica take you Emily?"

"She's a psychopath and she wanted to kill me," Emily's voice was calm and collected. They could have been talking about the weather.

"But she didn't," Alison argued, and sitting across from the brunette she was glad Jessica hadn't. Emily shrugged. "She changed her mind for some reason. Why?"

Emily smiled softly. "It's our female prerogative isn't it?"

"I'm serious."

Her expression returned to normal and she leaned back down for the beer bottle on the coffee table. "I don't have the answer to that question."

"All those Sunday's and you have never asked her?" Alison pushed and she watched as the brunette's eyes lifted to meet hers.

"That's not what we talk about and you're asking the wrong questions."

"Okay," Alison said slowly, "what made you different? Why keep you alive? You were different to her from the beginning. Why?"

"I was the lead detective on the task force that was hunting her. The others were all random people, but we knew each other. We had a relationship." Emily emphasised the word relationship as if to reaffirm her earlier point.

Emily lifted her hands off the arms of the chair and then folded and unfolded her hands on her lap. She was looking at the copy of the book that Alison had set out on the table. Alison looked at Emily to the book and then back to Emily again. It was like once the brunette had looked at it she couldn't look away.

"She risked a lot," Alison spoke softly. "To get to you, I mean. And then she let you go."

Emily was still looking at the book. Part of Alison wanted to tear it up and burn it so Emily would never have to look at it again. Alison could nearly feel the pain radiating from the detective.

"Excuse me," Emily said.

She stood up quickly and went into the kitchen. Alison turned on the couch so she could watch her. She couldn't see Emily's face, the brunette stood with her back to her, and then she had her hands on her hips. And then she sighed and said, "Will you put the book away please?"

The book. Was it the photograph of Jessica looking like a super model on the front that bothered her? Or was it what was inside the book that bothered her?

"I'm sorry," Alison called as she shoved the book back into her purse, she shook her head feeling like an idiot. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Emily.

Emily walked back into the living room before placing her beer carefully onto the coffee table in front of them. She did everything carefully, like someone who expected to break things that she took care of. She folded her hands in her lap again before she looked back at Alison.

"Jessica ended up in jail because it was part of her career – exit strategy plan, everyone has one. Trust me, she wasn't feeling charitable when she saved me. The first few months of my recovery, I felt like it was the cruelest thing she could have done to me. I didn't want to be here." The pain in Emily's eyes made Alison want to reach over and take Emily's hand in her own.

"But she could have got the death penalty?" Alison said.

Emily shook her head in the blonde's direction. "She had too many bargaining deals for us."

"Why do you think she only agreed to talk to you?"

"Because she knew I would do it for the families." Emily took a sip of beer before she continued, "I owed the families that. I'm tired, can we stop this now?"

Alison dropped her head in her hands in frustration. "We'll get to the whole story, you have my word," Emily promised.

She shut off the recorder and allowed the silence to settle around them. She didn't want to go home, an empty home at that, she wanted company. She wanted Emily's company. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

Emily nodded. "It's down the hall."

Alison stood and brushed down her jeans before heading off down the hall towards the bathroom. It was as plain as the rest of the apartment. A bath and shower combo with a sliding door. A plain white sink, and two towels that hung over the bath. The bathroom was clean at least. Spotless actually, Alison decided then that Emily was a naturally neat person.

She stared at the mirror above the sink. _Fuck, fuck and fuck. _She was so close to the biggest story of her career, the story that would launch her career and yet she didn't feel happy about it. She combed her hair with her fingers, the light overhead made her skin look pale. She applied lip gloss to give her face some life. She wondered if Emily looked at herself in the mirror everyday like this.

She flushed the toilet and used it to cover the noise of her opening the medicine cabinet. Toothpaste and a toothbrush. Razors. Deodorant. Moisturiser. And a shelf of amber plastic pill bottles, she spun them around to read the information. Vicodin. Ambien. Xanax.

She noticed that the Vicodin was the only bottle that had been opened, the rest hadn't been touched at all. The safety seals still attached. In reality there was enough pills on the shelf to medicate a horse. She closed the cabinet door before she turned and headed back towards the living room.

Emily didn't even look up at her, she was peeling the label of her beer bottle away from the glass. "If I'd wanted you not to see the pills I would have hidden them somewhere else."

Alison searched for what to say. _What are you talking about? What pills?_ But she didn't feel like lying to Emily, Emily didn't deserve it. She nodded before she sat across from the brunette, Emily's eyebrows raised in surprise like she wasn't expecting it.

"I know this sounds stupid but my parents are on vacation and with everything going on I don't want to go home just yet."

Emily smiled, her dimples showing. "That's okay, the TV remote is here," she threw it feebly over at Alison. "I need to call my Mom, if I don't she will call the FBI for a search party, I guess it's understandable," she continued with a small laugh. She headed towards her bedroom, smiling when she glanced back to see Alison removing her heels.

Emily returned thirty minutes later to find Alison asleep on her couch. The blonde's head was facing the back of the leather, her right arm curled into her body. Emily watched her chest rise and fall with every breath. Alison looked younger when she was asleep, all her journalistic attitude was gone from her face. She had three freckles on the base of her neck, they were in the shape of a small triangle.

Emily didn't think she'd ever noticed them until now. She prided herself on noticing details, it came with the job but when it came to Alison, for some reason, she missed things. There was something about Alison that distracted a part of Emily's brain. She wanted to lean down and press her lips against the blonde's forehead but she didn't, because if she did she'd want more and that couldn't happen.

_- x -_

Alison blinked her eyes open to be met with black leather, she rolled over and nearly fell of the couch that she was lying on, a bed throw was wrapped around her. The smell of coffee lingered in the air and it took her a moment to adjust to her surroundings. She heard a noise behind her and she sat up to be met with Emily glancing over her shoulder at her.

"You fell asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake you." She smiled at Alison as she poured coffee into two mugs before she headed over in Alison's direction.

"One second," Emily said as she placed the blonde's coffee on the coffee table before she turned and walked back towards the kitchen. The morning light bathed the room in a yellow glow. "Here you go." She sat two sachets of sugar down next to Alison's mug.

"How did you know I take sugar?"

"I noticed when you didn't touch the coffee I gave you the other day."

Alison looked away, she thought she'd gotten away it. "Thanks," she mumbled as she ran her hand through her hair before opening the two sachets. She looked over at Emily who was still wearing the same clothes she had been last night.

"Have you been to sleep?" Alison asked as she brought the coffee to her lips, she actually didn't care what she looked like in front of Emily. Emily had that non judgmental quality about her. She hoped anyway, she imagined she didn't look particularly attractive.

"I have," Emily admitted. She'd slept on the chair across from Alison, she'd woken a few times but it was the best she had slept in months. "I slept pretty well actually," she added with a dimpled smile.

It was progress.


	5. Crossfire

_You guys are awesome! Also a lot of you are asking about Emily and Jessica's relationship which I think is awesome, there was actually a really small clue in the last chapter about their relationship which I put in deliberately so if you found it well done haha. I hope you guys enjoy (this chapter is long I hope that's okay) I actually added a bit more onto the end, you guys deserve a little more! Please leave me some feedback it really is appreciated and it makes me want to update much quicker. Plus reviews just make me smile haha._

* * *

><p><em>She glances down at the bandage on the right hand side of her abdomen. The pain pales in comparison to everything else. Her body feels like wet sand. It is a strange feeling to be alive, Emily is getting less and less attached to the whole idea of it.<em>

_"Are you in pain?"_

Emily nods. She tells her yes because she knows it will satisfy Jessica, and if she is satisfied then she might let Emily rest. And when she lets Emily rest Emily gets the painkillers.

"What about the incision?"

_"It's starting to throb but it's a different kind of pain. More a burning pain but it's okay if I lie still. It feels like it's getting infected though, my whole body itches. All over. Why did you decide to become a psychologist?" Emily asks, steering them off topic._

_"I'm not," Jessica says. "I just read some books and then called you up."_

_"But you have medical training, it's pretty obvious." Emily replies, trying to focus on the woman who sits next to her but it's difficult._

_"I worked as an ER nurse, I went to medical school but I dropped out."_

Jessica smiles before running her hand down the length of Emily's cheek. "I would have made an excellent doctor don't you think?"

_"I'm probably the wrong person to ask that question."_

* * *

><p>Alison had spent Saturday writing up Emily's interview as tastefully as she could, and now the second story was in she was taking a celebratory bath. There was a radio in the bathroom, but she didn't put it on. This was thinking time. Music was too easy a distraction for her. She had been in the bath for almost half an hour and the water had cooled, she turned on the hot water with her toes and let it run until the bath was as warm as she could take it.<p>

She jumped when the phone rang. She never took a bath without her phone, she never done anything without her phone but still, it made her jump in surprise when it rang. Now in an effort to get to her phone that sat on the edge of the sink, she knocked over her half full glass of white wine. It exploded on the tiled floor, sending the wine everywhere.

She fumbled with her phone, not looking at the caller ID and then nearly sent it into the soapy water as she sank back into the warm water.

"Emily?"

"No honey it's me."

"Oh," she tried not to sound disappointed. "Hi, Mom."

"I saw your story,"

Alison sat up in the bath, bringing her knees to her chest. A smile plastered on her face. "You did?"

"Yeah, we had to go online for it but we remembered you were writing this big piece. It's very good, your father agrees with me."

Alison's body hummed with happiness. She didn't like to draw her parent's attention to her work, she was always afraid they would think that she was just exploiting people for stories. She didn't like to admit that it actually mattered to her what her parents thought.

"Anyway I just wanted to call and let you know you're doing a great job. Is everything okay there?"

"Yep, I'm in the bath so it's probably best I go before I drop my phone in the water." Alison laughed gently and she heard her Mom do the same.

"Okay honey, we will talk later."

She hung up the phone and leaned back into the bath, letting the hot water fill her ears as she waited for her heartbeat to slow down. Alison smiled to herself. Emily Fields. She had to admit that she'd secretly hoped that it would be her who had been on the phone.

Her smile faltered, Emily was totally unavailable and she was a romantic train wreck herself. She'd never even been with a woman before so why did she feel so attracted to Emily? Sure she'd found women attractive in the past, but never _Emily_ attractive.

She needed more wine.

_- x -_

Emily knew that Paige would call her when she'd seen Alison's second story. It didn't matter that it was before eight on a Sunday morning, Paige knew that she would be awake. There was a monster on the loose and the clock was ticking, and even though there was little she could actually do but wait for something to happen, sleep seemed like an admission of defeat for her. As it was, she was sitting on her couch reading more reports. Her mind had wandered to Alison more than a few times. She wondered if the blonde was awake.

She'd been up long enough to have two coffees and breakfast, it was cereal and yoghurt but it was enough for food to be in her stomach. She needed something in her stomach for the Vicodin on a Sunday. She always allowed herself an extra Vicodin on Sundays. It was necessary.

"Have you seen it?" Paige asked.

Emily leaned back onto the couch, her eyes fluttered shut. "Nope, but tell me about it."

"She talks about Jessica and what she did to you."

_They don't know the half of what she done to me, _Emily thought. "Good, are there pictures?"

"One of you and one of Jessica."

Emily opened her eyes. There were Vicodin on the table, she lined them up in a little row before she scooped them into her hand and dropped them into her little brass box. "Which one of Jessica?"

"The mug shot."

Emily knew that one. It was the first time Jessica had been in the system. She had been picked up for writing a bad cheque in New York in 2002. She was nineteen and her hair was a lot shorter than it was now, her face still hadn't matured and her expression was startled, like anyone's first mug shot.

Emily allowed herself a smile a little. "Good, she hates that picture, anything else?"

"Alison DiLaurentis hints at the sordid details to come of your much speculated but never proved captivity. You're using her to get to Jessica Emily and it's not fair."

Emily could almost feel the heat of the phone against her ear. "I'm not using her, I'm using this as a way to pull away from Jessica. If she knows I'm talking she will know I'm going to pull away, so I hope she reads it," she took a sip of coffee, "plus I happen to like Alison so I wouldn't do that to her, she's not like any other journalists."

"What do you mean she's not like other journalists?"

"Nothing, I have to go Paige. I need to shower."

"Of course, it's Sunday. You want to be presentable when you see her."

The line was heavy with silence, and Emily could feel Paige let her go just that little bit more. "Okay, I'm going to go now," Paige said and hung up before Emily could even say goodbye to her.

When the phone rang a few minutes later, Emily thought it would be Paige calling her back, and she picked up the phone on the first ring without looking at the handset. But it wasn't Paige.

"This is Matthew, down in Muncy. I've got a message for you. From Jessica Jackson."

_Bombs away, _Emily thought. _Bombs away._

_- x -_

It was almost nine by the time Alison woke up. She had a pounding headache and a stomach turning wave of nausea caused by too much wine. She'd finished the entire bottle on an empty stomach. She sat up gingerly in bed and ran her hand through her blonde hair. She stood and walked to the bathroom, where she poured herself a glass of water, took two ibuprofen and then brushed her teeth to get rid of the alcohol after taste.

She wandered downstairs into the kitchen in her shorts and vest top, a bathrobe pulled over the top, where she put a pot of coffee on and sat down at the kitchen island. She wanted to call Emily but it was Sunday and Sunday was off limits for her. It was too early for the light to make it through her north facing window but she could see the blue sky beyond the house across the street.

Alison was half way through her first cup of coffee when the sound of her door bell floated down the hall into the kitchen. She pulled the bathrobe tighter before she answered the door. Detective Toby Cavanaugh stood before her, he was freshly shaved, smelled of aftershave and his smile gleamed.

There was no greeting. "Do you have a few hours?"

"For what?" Alison replied hesitantly. She knew if it was Emily asking her this her head would be bobbing up and down by now.

"Emily will explain. She's in the car. I couldn't find a place to park in this street for convertibles. Your neighbourhood is awash with middle aged men going through a midlife crisis."

"Yes, they are pretty ferocious, my Dad included," Alison laughed softly. "Can you give me a few minutes to change?"

He nodded his head before she closed the door and ran upstairs, taking two at a time, nearly falling at the last one. When she burst into her bedroom she realised that she was grinning. This was good. This meant a break in the case and she was getting first access to it. She pulled on a pair of royal blue tight jeans and a long sleeved white shirt, ran a brush through her hair and grabbed a pair of boots from the pile.

Toby's unmarked car sat idling further down her street, Emily was sitting in the passenger seat gazing down at something on her lap, Alison imagined that it was something to do with the case. The winter sun looked almost white in the pale, clear sky and the car shone in the light. Alison glanced at Emily as she climbed into the back seat.

"Good morning," she said as she fastened her seat belt, hearing it click. "What's going on?"

"You wrote to Jessica," Emily replied simply.

"Yeah," Alison looked out the window, she'd hoped that Emily had been calling her bluff. Clearly she hadn't been.

"I specifically asked you not to."

"I'm a journalist," Alison reminded her half-heartedly, "I was attempting to gather facts for your profile."

"Well here's the dilemma. Your letter and your stories have intrigued her and she would like to meet you."

Alison's headache had completely vanished. "Seriously?"

"Are you up for it?"

Alison leaned forward in between the two front seats, her face was inches from Emily's and she could smell the subtle hints of the brunette's perfume. It made her head feel hazy. "Are you kidding? When? Now?"

"That's where we are headed."

Emily turned to face Alison, their cheeks almost bumping into each other. Her face was hard and serious, and Alison knew she should listen to what Emily had to say to her.

"Jessica is crazy, mental actually. She's curious about you, but only because she wants to know how she can manipulate you. If you come, you follow my lead and for God sake restrain yourself. Don't ask any stupid questions."

Alison forced the glee off her face. She didn't know if it was because she was so close to Emily or if it was because she was getting a huge break in Emily's profile. Probably both. "I am known for my restraint."

"I am going to regret this aren't I?" Emily said to Toby as Toby grinned, pulled a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment and pulled away from the pavement.

Alison made a promise to herself that she wasn't going to say another word unless one of them spoke to her first. She wanted to appear professional.

It was a quiet trip.

_- x -_

Toby parked in a space reserved for police cars near the entrance of the prison. A middle aged man in a pressed suit stood on the steps of one of the main buildings, leaning against the railings, arms folded. He had soft features but Alison could tell he'd been around this game for a long time. Alison imagined he was waiting on them specially, he looked like a lawyer even from this distance away. You could always tell who were lawyers.

They exited the car before they made their way over towards the lawyer looking man. He stepped forward as Emily approached, his hand extended and she took it easily. It appeared to Alison that they knew each other pretty well.

"So, how is she today?" Emily asked him.

"Annoyed, the same as every Sunday," the lawyer said, directing his gaze onto Alison. "I take it this is _the_ journalist?"

Alison nodded weakly at him, she suddenly had the feeling that she shouldn't be there. Like she was intruding on something she shouldn't be. He threw his hand towards her. He had a firm, precise handshake, like someone who intended to make good use out of it.

Alison struggled to keep up as the group moved at quick pace through the main building, taking corners and climbing stairs with the ease of people who had travelled the hallways so often that it had become automatic. Emily looked like she could do it in her sleep, it came naturally to her. They came to two security checkpoints. Emily and Toby surrendered their side arms and moved past the guards without a break in their conversation.

A male guard stopped Alison, who was still a few steps behind. He was shorter than Alison so he had to look up at her. She bristled at the small man in front of her. "Didn't you read the leaflet?"

"It's okay Dave," Emily argued, as she turned back in Alison's direction. "She's with me."

Alison wondered why Emily hadn't said 'us,' but she had no time to dwell on it. The small guard chewed his tongue for a second before he gave Emily a look, then he nodded and let Alison past him.

"Nobody ever reads the leaflets," he muttered to himself.

"What did I do?" Alison asked when she finally caught up to Emily and Toby, she could see Toby smiling from the corner of her eye.

"They don't like when visitors wear denim," Emily informed her, "The prisoners wear blue and it might lead to some confusion if there was a fire emergency or something like that."

"But surely their denim isn't as fashionable as mine?"

It earned her a smile from Emily. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

They came to a metal detector. Again Emily and Toby breezed through it without a hitch. Alison, however, was motioned to stop again. A female guard appeared from the security booth behind her.

"Are you wearing a bra?" the guard asked.

Alison blushed. The guard stared at Alison as if she wasn't there. Bored even. "No under wire bra's they set off the detector."

Alison didn't know if it was her imagination but she felt like everyone was staring at her chest. Emily included. "Oh, no I don't have one on today, don't worry."

Alison smiled awkwardly. Emily grinned back at her.

_- x -_

"Here we are,' Emily said. She opened an unmarked black metal door and she allowed Alison to walk in first, followed by Toby and the lawyer.

It was a cement walled observation room, with an impressive plate of one-way glass that looked into another room. It was just like it was on TV. Alison thought the room looked claustrophobic, there was a long metal folding table jammed next to the window. A young Hispanic woman sat on a stool facing a computer monitor and a TV.

"That's Maria," Emily stated, nodding towards the woman.

Maria grinned at Alison. "I'm the sidekick," she said, her accent heavy.

"I thought Toby was the sidekick?" Alison replied as she smiled over at Toby. He was growing on her, given time she thought she may actually like him.

Emily smiled at them both. "Wait here," she told Alison, her hand was on the small of the blonde's back and Alison nearly jumped at the contact. "I will be back for you in a minute." She turned and headed back out the door they had all came in.

"Meet the spawn of Satan," Maria said to Alison, lifting her chin towards the room on the other side of the glass.

Alison approached the glass and got her first good look at Jessica Jackson. There she sat, a picture of elegance. She was wearing denim pants and a denim shirt the word inmate emblazoned on the back. Alison had seen her picture, of course. The media had been obsessed with her because she was beautiful. But Alison thought she looked even more gorgeous in person. She wondered briefly if Emily had been attracted to her. She shook the thought away.

Her eyes were large and pale green, her features were perfectly symmetrical, wide cheekbones, and a perfectly sculpted nose. Her heart shaped face ended in a dainty chin. Her hair was dark, and was pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off her neck.

She wasn't pretty. Jessica was beautiful in a very mature, grown up way, in a sophisticated yet confident way. She radiated power and beauty. Alison was mesmerised.

She watched through the glass, captivated, as Emily entered the room. The brunette had her head down and a file tucked under her arm. Emily turned to close the steel door behind her and stood for a moment as if gathering herself for what was about to happen. Emily looked beautiful too. Then she took a breath, straightened herself up and turned towards Jessica.

"Hello Jessica."

"Good morning, sweetheart." She tilted her head and smiled in Emily's direction. The sudden enthusiasm made her features sparkle. It was not a fake smile either, it was a genuine expression of warmth. Or, Alison reconsidered, maybe she really was just good at fake smiling. She was a psychopath after all.

Jessica lifted her hands onto the table and Alison could see that they were shackled, she craned her head and noticed that the brunette's feet were manacled too. Jessica's green eyes glistened playfully in Emily's direction. "Did you bring me anything sweetheart?" she asked Emily.

"I'll bring her in here in a minute," Emily replied and Alison shuddered when she realised that they were talking about _her. _Emily walked towards the table and very carefully placed the folder she carried onto the table, she opened it before Jessica looked down, barely registering the contents.

Jessica held her gaze and then reached out and placed a finger on one of the photographs that were contained inside the folder. "There," she said. Her smile enthusiastic again. "Can we play now?"

"I'll be right back," Emily said before she scooped the folder up and headed back out the doors.

Emily walked into the observation room and held up the photo that Jessica that had picked out. The image was of a blonde girl, Alison imagined she was in her early twenties, she had a silly grin in the photo.

"It's her," Emily said simply to Toby, Toby reached out for the folder and nodded, before he turned and headed back out the door.

Alison looked through the glass at Jessica before she rested her head against it. Jessica was looking down at the table, drawing imaginary patterns with her finger. She was, Alison decided, genetically superior. Why did she have to be so perfect looking? It annoyed Alison more than it should have.

Emily took a step towards Alison. "She's jealous of you, she thinks that I'm sharing too much. That's why she wants to see you."

Emily leaned her head against the glass and looked at Jessica Jackson. No one said a word. Not even Alison. Alison thought she could hear someone's watch ticking. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here Alison. I'm sorry," Emily said.

Alison lifted her chin towards the window, she was watching Emily out the corner of her eye. "What does she want with me Emily?" she asked.

Emily looked at Alison. She ran a hand over her mouth and then through her hair. She looked tired. "She wants to size you up. See what you are all about."

"About you?"

Emily nodded a few times. "Yes."

"What do you want me to tell her?" Alison asked, she could feel her hands shaking.

Emily looked her in the eye. "The truth, Alison. But if you go in there she will not like you, she will fuck with you and she has a brilliant bullshit detector so do not lie to her. She will feel threatened by you and be mean to you. You need to understand that."

Alison put her palm on the glass so Jessica's head rested in the crux between her thumb and forefinger. If she played it right she could do well from it. "Can I write about it?"

Emily nodded before her brow creased. "But no pens."

"Why?"

Emily looked through the glass at Jessica. Alison could see the Emily's eyes roam over Jessica. Her neck, her arms, and then her face. She instantly didn't like it. "Because I don't want her using it on you."

_- x -_

"Jessica," Emily said. "This is Alison DiLaurentis. Alison, Jessica Jackson."

It suddenly felt like there wasn't enough oxygen in the poxy room for Alison. She stood idly for a second wondering if she was supposed to offer a handshake and then she remembered the shackles and thought better of it. _Play it cool Ali, just be calm she told herself for the tenth time in ten seconds. _She pulled a chair out and it scraped across the floor. She avoided eye contact with Jessica and her heart was racing.

Emily sat next to her. She took comfort from the fact that Emily's leg was pushed against hers under the table. Alison forced herself to look across the table. Jessica smiled at her, she was gorgeous up close. Emily had definitely found her attractive when she first met her, Alison could feel it in her bones. She could feel the little pang of jealousy in her chest.

"Well aren't you lovely," Jessica purred, "I've enjoyed your stories," she continued with just enough lilt to her voice that Alison couldn't tell if she was being serious or sarcastic.

Alison planked her phone on the table and willed her heart to slow. If it didn't she suspected that she was getting carried out on a stretcher. "Do you mind if I record this?" The room smelled like antiseptic. Toxic. Alison wondered how Emily had done this every Sunday for months.

Jessica raised her eyebrows gamely and Alison leaned over and hit record. She could feel Jessica appraising her. She looked at Emily for some indication of what to do or how to behave. Emily sat back, her hands threaded together on her lap, not taking her eyes off Jessica. There was a level of understanding between them. It was slightly strange to witness for Alison.

"She likes you," Jessica said teasingly to Emily.

Emily didn't respond, she didn't even look at Alison. She knew it was Jessica trying to provoke a response and she willed Alison not to take the bait. She didn't, she remained silent by Emily's side. Jessica didn't seem satisfied, she gestured to the phone with her chin.

"What are your questions?"

Alison was startled. "What questions?"

Jessica gestured to the phone again. She wore the shackles like they were bracelets, something to be admired. "That's why you have come here right? To interview me? You can't do a profile on Emily Fields without interviewing me. I made her career."

"I'd like to think I would have found some other ego maniacal psychopath, Jessica," Emily said with a sigh.

Jessica ignored Emily completely. "Go on then. Ask me anything."

Alison's mind went blank. She had gone over this in her head a hundred times, even when she hadn't been assigned this profile she had thoroughly rehearsed what she would ask Jessica Jackson if she ever had the chance. But she'd never thought she'd have the opportunity. _Come on Alison ask a damn question! _

"Why did you kidnap Emily Fields?" she finally asked, the shake in her voice was evident.

Jessica's skin almost glowed. Alison wondered if they were allowed to exfoliate in maximum security prisons. Maybe she was stealing strawberries and making her own masks or something.

"Because I wanted to."

"But you didn't kill her, why?"

Jessica shrugged and scrunched up her face slightly. "There was a change of plan."

"Why her?" She was on a roll now, she was doing well.

"She seemed to take such a genuine interest in my work, I thought it would be nice for her to see it up close. Now can I ask you a question?"

Alison shifted in her seat, struggling for a reasonable response. Jessica didn't wait for one. The question was directed at Alison but Jessica's attention was transfixed on Emily. Emily was looking straight back.

"You've met Paige, how is she?" Her voice was soft like she was asking an old friend something.

Alison looked over at Emily. She was still looking at Jessica, it didn't look as if her eyes had moved a muscle. The sudden atmosphere made Alison's stomach go rigid. She was poison, this beautiful woman in front of her was pure, complete poison. "I don't think I should answer that," she mumbled, her voice small.

"It's okay Alison, she likes to remember what a mess of my life she's made for everyone. We talk about it all the time. You'd think she would get bored, but alas, she doesn't." Alison wasn't sure what fucked up game they had been playing for months, all she knew was that she didn't like it.

"Paige hates you."

Jessica smiled like she'd just won an award. "Perhaps, but Emily can't be with her and she will never be with you either sweetie. So you should get that out of your head right now."

Emily abruptly stood, her chair making a sickening scraping noise against the floor. She put her hand in her pocket before she turned her attention to Alison.

"Where are you going?" Jessica asked, her voice betraying a sudden anxiety. Alison watched as her entire posture changed. Her face hardened and she leaned forward as if she was shortening the gap between her and Emily.

"We're done for today. We aren't being very productive." Emily looked down at Alison. "Come on, lets go," She could tell the blonde was embarrassed, she really didn't need to be. Jessica could tell a mile that Emily was attracted to Alison, and that's why she had said what she did.

Alison gripped the phone before she fumbled it into her purse. When she stood, she noticed it. Jessica had reached her hands up, shackles and all, and seized Emily's hand. Emily didn't move, she just stood, staring at her hand in Jessica's. She tugged her hand but couldn't get it free. Alison could see Jessica holding on, her grip tightening.

As if on cue, Toby burst into the room. He was at the table in three steps and reached a large hand around Jessica's wrist and squeezed until she let Emily's hand go.

"That's against the rules," Toby seethed. Alison could see his face redden, his words coming out through gritted teeth. "You do that again and I swear I will end this goddamn bullshit every week. Got it?"

Jessica didn't say anything, she didn't pull away from him, didn't say a word she just looked at him. Her nostrils flaring, eyes darting quickly between him and Emily. She suddenly didn't look very beautiful to Alison and she wondered if this was the Jessica Emily had seen in the basement.

"It's fine," Emily said. Her voice was calm and collected, but Alison noticed that her hands were trembling. "I'm fine."

Toby looked at Emily, holding her gaze for a moment and then he turned her back to Jessica. He still had his hand around her wrist, and for a moment Alison wondered if he was ever going to let go. He looked like he wanted to snap her in half. Then he opened his hand and dropped the brunette's wrist, and without giving her a second glance, he turned and walked out of the door.

Jessica smoothed her dark hair with her now free hand. The shackles gleamed, the overhead light hitting off them. "I don't think Toby likes me very much, what do you think?" She said to Emily.

Emily bristled before she nodded her head in Alison's direction, the blonde knew that was her cue to leave. She walked quickly over to Emily who had held the door open for her. "Well you did send him my appendix as a gift, Jessica."

"Wait," Jessica called. Alison turned around to face her. "You were asking me questions sweetie, for your story. Surely you want to ask more, no?"

Alison's head reeled from the new revelation. _Her appendix? What the fuck. She hadn't been told anything about an appendix. _"What's your favourite movie?" She wondered what twisted answer Jessica would come up with, she looked up at Emily who looked back down at her reassuringly. The door swung shut behind them.

Jessica's answer was instantaneous. "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

Well. That was unexpected. Alison looked back at Emily, searchingly, not even trying to mask the confusion that was surely written across her face. "That's detective Fields' favourite movie," was all she could muster.

"Coincidence. You can call her Emily," Jessica said softly, "I've see her naked."

"Jessica," Emily cautioned.

"Has she rejected you yet sweetie?" Jessica asked, her voice filled with amusement. "It will be hard for you, you don't get rejected often do you? I don't think you have anyone else, romantically anyway, but I'm sure you will survive. I like people like you, Alison."

Alison felt all the saliva in her throat evaporate. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her chest. She curled her hands into fists as hard as she could and then pressed as hard as she could until the pain dried up the tears she feared would well at any moment. When the moment passed, she leaned forward towards Jessica.

"Fuck you, just fuck you."

Jessica just smiled smugly. _Game. Set. Match_.

Alison felt the hot tears on her cheeks as the floodgates opened. She felt humiliated, she gulped for some air before she fumbled past Emily, hitting the buzzer on the wall. The door opened slowly and she pulled it towards her before she fled into the corridor.

_- x -_

Alison stumbled a few steps down the hall, hugging her arms as she fell against the wall. Emily was behind her in a second, her hand on Alison's shoulder. It was a comforting touch, Alison could feel herself lean into it, she wasn't really used to that. She turned away, pressing her head against the wall so that Emily couldn't see her face. Emily moved around in front of her, never taking her hand off her shoulder and then she leaned against the wall too.

"Jessica says a lot of things in the hope that one or two of them will stick and then make you suffer. Trust me, I know this more than anyone. Don't give her that power." Emily lifted her hand and wiped a tear that was still hugging Alison's cheek. She was pretty, even with her tear stained face, Alison was _beautiful_. Touching her cheek sent a vibration through Emily's arm.

The sound of a door, then footsteps and Toby was in the hallway too, followed by a guard and Jessica's lawyer. They had seen everything, Alison wanted to curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment.

"This is done for today. Tell her I'm finished," Emily called to Toby. The guard, Toby and the lawyer shuffled back inside the observation room door and then they were alone again. Complete stillness and silence.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Emily asked quietly, she looked past Alison and up the corridor. She hadn't done this in a long time.

"We don't have any interviews planned," Alison replied, before she sniffed, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

Emily cleared her throat. "I mean off the record."

Alison's eyes snapped up towards the brunette and she waited until Emily's eyes found hers. She could feel Emily's whole demeanor change, like a frightened child who was waiting to be told off for doing something wrong.

"Like for a movie and food type of thing?"

Emily nodded, Alison felt warmth bloom in her stomach. "I like pizza," she offered with a shrug. Emily's took a step closer to her before brushing her thumb against the blonde's cheek again, wiping another tear.

"I like pizza too, Alison."

"You can call me Ali."

"Okay, as long as you just call me Emily from now on."

Alison smiled up at the brunette who was looking down at her with concerned eyes. She watched as Emily's mouth curved into a smile too.

_- x -_

Alison knocked nervously on the door, she'd dressed classy but not too dressy this time. She looked up and down the corridor before Emily appeared. She'd made an effort tonight, not like the other night when she'd been wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. She'd been showered and she stood in jeans and a plaid shirt, a white t – shirt peeked out from underneath. She smiled softly when she seen Alison.

The apartment smelt like food. "How did you know what kind of pizza I like?" Alison asked as he waltzed into the room. She noticed Emily's beer was on the coffee table in front of her couch, next to it was a bottle of wine. She clearly planned on sitting next to Alison instead of across from her.

"I took a guess," Emily shrugged as she closed the door behind them. Alison heard the brunette lock it.

"Emily can I ask you something?" Alison asked as she sat down on the black leather couch. She'd thought about it since she'd got home from the prison, she decided just to ask it because she wanted to know the truth from Emily. The brunette nodded before she took a seat next to Alison.

"What did you mean in the prison today when you said she sent your appendix?" She watched as Emily's brows furrowed in the middle of her head.

"Exactly that," she stood up and pulled her shirt up. "She usually got rid of her victims after three days. To show them I was still alive, she sent them a…gift." Alison could see the faint indent on the brunette's, otherwise, unblemished body. It was white and no thicker than a few millimeters wide. Alison's insides clenched in response.

"Jesus," Alison breathed out. She leaned out and grazed her fingertips over the soft skin, she felt Emily flinch underneath her hand. Goosebumps formed on the brunette's stomach. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as she pulled her hand away. "I shouldn't have done that," she added recoiling in embarrassment.

"No it's okay," Emily spoke softly, her eyes fixed on the blonde's. "It's not the only one I have, but I'm not quite ready to show you the others yet," she added as she pulled her shirt back over her skin. Her skin tingled where Alison's fingers had been seconds before. Alison nodded her acknowledgement.

"Enough of her. It's pizza time and since it's my home I get to choose the movie." Alison grinned playfully when Emily produced the DVD case.

"So you weren't kidding when you said you liked Mamma Mia?"

"Nope, so I hope you like to sing."

As Alison sat back with a slice of pizza she felt Emily shift closer towards her. "Are you going to do the fake stretch thing where you put your arm around me?"

Emily nearly choked on a slice of pepperoni, before she looked at the blonde. She didn't know whether to laugh or take her seriously.

"No. I'm not in high school anymore," Emily laughed.

"Okay, good. I can't be bothered with that."

"I was just going to throw it around you instead," Emily replied with a smirk, underneath she was terrified.

"I prefer that anyway, there's nothing wrong with a bit of boldness."

"I will keep that in mind for the next time, I prefer that too, by the way," Emily confirmed as she leaned down to take a sip of beer.

"Okay," Alison answered as she curled her feet up on the couch next to her. "I'm glad we are sharing."

"Me too, Ali."


	6. Little by Little

_I love how much you guys love Jessica and since nearly all of you want to see more of her, the chapter kind of focuses on her and Emily's relationship, the flashbacks are slightly different too. A guest had a go at me about why Paige is the ex? Basically because I was one of the few that didn't really like Maya's character (sorry I know most people love her) and Samara was on the scene for like 5 seconds, so I chose Paige. Anyway please enjoy and have an awesome day/night wherever you are. Leave me some feedback if you wish but it's really appreciated!_

* * *

><p><em>Jessica Jackson crosses her legs and then leans forward on the leather chair.<em>

_"So, how do we do this?" Emily asks, she feels out of place in Jessica's house. She agreed to the individual sessions she had offered to be polite. But she hadn't expected them to be in her house, it feels slightly inappropriate in the bigger picture._

_Her green eyes widen at Emily's admission. "You've never been to therapy before?"_

_She's only known Jessica Jackson a couple of weeks, since she had appeared at the task force offices to offer her help in their three year hunt. She'd sat in her car outside for ten minutes working up the nerve to even come in. "Just the group session you took at the offices a few days ago."_

_Jessica smiles. She's wearing a skirt and she threads her fingers and hooks them around one knee, and the skirt exposes an inch of her thigh. "Well, it's easy," she says. "You tell me what's on your mind and we will talk about it."_

_Emily shifts uncomfortably in her chair, her gun pressing into her hip. She does have something on her mind. Something she hasn't even told Toby or Spencer. "I'm thinking about asking to be reassigned," she says. It feels good to finally say it. It gives her power like she might actually do it._

_"Why? Is it hard on your relationship, working so much?"_

_Emily considers this. Her and Paige had mutually agreed to end their relationship a week ago, her work had caused an enormous strain and with Paige's job they hardly spent any time together. She doesn't want to discuss this. "I'm committed to my job, I have one job and that is to catch this guy, which I haven't done so far."_

_"I think you're close," Jessica says. She reaches out and puts her hand on the arm rest of Emily's chair. She doesn't touch Emily though. Just the arm rest. "Don't give up just yet. How long have you and your partner been together?" Jessica asks._

_"Since high school."_

_"How many women have you slept with?" Jessica asks._

_Emily feels her face flush. She looks out of the window, at a stand of apple trees that are planted in the backyard. "Just two. But my first girlfriend, it was awkward and clumsy you know what it's like first time, so really just Paige."_

_"Is the sex good?"_

_Emily feels hot. She reaches up and rubs the back of her neck. The only sound in the room is the ticking on the grandfather clock that sits in the corner. "I feel weird talking about this with you," she says._

_"In order for this to work properly," Jessica replies, "you have to be honest with me."_

_"Yes," Emily says, "it's good." What Emily really wants to say is it was good, they haven't in a long time._

_"How do you know if you've only ever really been with Paige?"_

_Emily smiles. Touché._

_"You must be attracted to other women though?"_

_Emily splays her hands out on her knees. "That's natural."_

_"Are you attracted to me?" Jessica's green eye almost dance._

_Emily searches for something to say, something true, but not too true. Her mouth is suddenly very dry and the clock continues to tick in the corner. She clears her throat and then settles on, "I think you're very beautiful."_

* * *

><p>Rosewood Community Hospital was one of two trauma centres for the region and it was where Emily Fields had been taken after they got her out of Jessica Jackson's basement. It was also the hospital favoured by paramedics. Alison parked in the visitors garage and made her way to the office building where Emily's doctor had agreed to meet her. When she took the elevator up to the third floor, she was careful to press the button with her elbow rather than her finger. Germs. Could never be too careful in hospitals.<p>

Dr Grant made her wait for thirty minutes, it was now eleven thirty. Asshole. Although it wasn't a bad waiting room. There was a decent view of Rosewood, she could see the old bank where Emily probably was, further in the distance was her neighbourhood. But it smelled like every other waiting room. A mixture of flowers and antiseptic. Alison had always argued that it was the smell they used to cover up the smell of death.

An old _Herald_ was laid out on the coffee table next to a stack of magazines. She had pulled the _Herald _out so her story on Emily Fields would be properly displayed for anyone who was interested. When Dr Grant appeared he gave her a shrug of apology and a moist handshake and then ushered her back past the examining rooms and into his office.

He was in his fifties, with a clean shaven head, Alison couldn't see one single hair. He walked quickly with a stethoscope swinging around his neck. Alison had to hurry to keep pace with him. He held a certain authority about him, the same way Emily did when she was in her work environment. Emily pulled it off better though.

His office was classy. There was a large real wood, expensive looking veneer desk which housed an expensive looking leather desk chair. The bookshelves hosted various medical textbooks and a few books on Eastern religions. There was also a photograph of Grant with a parachute attached to his back. It dwarfed the many medical degrees that hung beside it. At least he had his priorities right, Alison thought to herself.

"So, Emily Fields," Dr Grant said, opening a red folder in front of him before motioning Alison to sit.

Alison smiled. "I guess you have spoken to her?"

"Yes. She emailed me a HIPAA waiver." Grant touched a piece of paper in Emily's folder. Alison imagined the folder was an inch thick. She set her phone on her desk, lifting her eyebrows questioningly to Grant. He just nodded and she hit record.

"So, can I ask you anything?" She asked.

"I am willing to talk to you about the injuries Detective Fields sustained in the line of duty, yes."

"Okay, go." Alison turned to a new page in her notebook before she smiled sweetly up at him. Men always loved flattery.

Grant's eyes scanned through the information on Fields' file. His tone was businesslike. "She arrived at the ER via ambulance at nine forty three, she was in critical condition. Three fractured ribs, a laceration to her torso, her tox levels were alarmingly high and of course, she had had her appendix removed."

Alison was scribbling furiously when he got to the last part. She still couldn't believe Jessica had done that to Emily, it made her insides contract in protest. "They didn't release that though right? I never knew about that until very recently, two days ago to be precise."

"Correct. They didn't release it. Jessica had done a decent job dividing the blood supply and then stitching her up, but there was some bleeding and we had to go in and clean it up."

The tip of Alison's pen remained stuck to the paper of the notebook. "How can you do that? Just remove someone's appendix? Can you do that in a basement?"

"If you've done it before," Grant said. "It's a non essential organ, and then I believe she sent it to the police, along with Emily's badge."

Alison shook her head and tried to quell the nausea in her stomach. "It's the most fucked up thing I've ever head."

"Yes," he said, sitting forward, his professional interest clearly aroused. "It surprised us too, it is still major surgery at the end of the day. Emily's body had gone into septic shock. If Jessica hadn't treated Emily at the site, Emily wouldn't be here. It was about that time that Jessica dressed all the wounds. Emily was well taken care of." He paused, catching himself, and then ran a hand over his mouth. "You know, from that point onwards."

Alison nodded before she wrote down some more notes, he was waiting for her to finish, she gussed he wasn't an asshole after all. "I heard she did CPR on Emily before she turned herself in?"

"That's what the paramedic's said, yes,"

"You said her tox levels were high, what exactly was she on?"

Grant glanced down at the paper before he cocked his head. "Quite a cocktail, and that was just what was in her system when she got here. There could have been more that we don't know about. It would have led to insomnia, hallucinations, paralysis, the list is frightening. "

Alison tried to imagine what it would be like. Alone, in a basement and in pain. So high that your mind wasn't functioning. Completely dependent on the person who was hell bent on destroying you. "Is she still on any medication?" She knew the answer, she just wanted to hear what he said.

"Nothing that would interfere in her ability to do her job," he replied carefully.

"Great. So what you're telling me is that Jessica done all these heinous things to Emily, took care of her, and then resuscitated her before calling the police?"

"That's what I'm saying."

Alison closed her book over slightly before opening it again. "And Emily confirms this?"

Grant leaned back into his chair and interlaced his fingers over his chest. "She doesn't really talk about what happened to her. She says she doesn't remember much."

"But you don't believe her?"

Grant looked knowingly at her. "It's bullshit, and I've told her that to her face."

_- x -_

Emily sat at her desk chair and exhaled. The case had stalled majorly and they had no leads, no suspects, truth be told they had absolutely nothing except a profile that matched half the men in Rosewood. It wasn't Spencer's fault, they just had nothing to go on. She glanced at the clock. Alison would be at Grant's office right now, she wondered how it was going.

She let her eyes flutter closed and thought back forty eight hours. Alison had been so close to her and she had done absolutely nothing. Hadn't moved closer, hadn't moved her arm. She had sat motionless, terrified, at the prospect of being close to another human being again. That's what Jessica had done to her. She didn't think anyone else on the planet could sit that close to Alison DiLaurentis and do nothing. She internally kicked herself.

She scrunched her eyes up to keep back the tears because that's was always her one rule. Don't cry at work because in her line of work, that's a sign of weakness and she couldn't afford to show weakness. She rested her head back and breathed out.

She stiffened when she felt a hand on her arm. It was like every cell in her body was alert to the touch. She opened her eyes, startled, to find a blonde looking down at her, her mouth curved into a smile. She was glad to see her.

"How was psycho Sally this week then?" Hanna asked as she slouched into one of the leather seats that sat in front of Emily's desk. It was only now that Emily could listen to Hanna's humour about Jessica.

Emily yawned before she stretched her arms out. "I don't think she would appreciate that nickname for some reason Han." God she was tired.

"True, don't tell her I said that. The last thing I need is her turning up at my door. I don't think it would end well for me."

Emily shook her head gently. "Don't talk like that."

Hanna held her hand up in an apology before she leaned over Emily's desk and placed her hand over the brunette's. "How's the case going?"

Emily tilted her head. "You know I can't talk about an active case with you, but if I was an outsider looking in I would say that the police are struggling and they have no clues."

Hanna nodded her acknowledgement before a comfortable silence settled around them. "How's your reporter?"

"She's not my reporter, she's a journalist and she's very nice," Emily smiled, it was all teeth.

Hanna noticed the smile, it was hard not too. "I'm sure Jessica loves that," she deadpanned.

"She wanted to see Alison on Sunday, so I took her and it didn't go well."

"Of course it didn't go well, she's a complete nut job who probably wants to stab any woman you go near in the throat."

"Yeah," Emily agreed, "that's why I told Alison no pens in the interview room."

_- x -_

Emily wandered down the familiar corridor towards the observation room that she had been in only two days before. It felt like a lifetime ago. She never usually came on any other day apart from Sunday but after Hanna had left her she had gotten a phone call from Matthew and it had piqued her interest. Jessica wanted to see her again. Jessica didn't do anything without a reason, so she had come to see her.

The guard left as soon as Emily entered the room. Jessica sat just as she had on Sunday, she had her shackled hands folded on one knee, seemingly impressed at Emily's willingness to visit her. Emily pulled the metal chair out, sat in it and faced Jessica avoiding any eye contact with her.

"What do you want Jessica?" Emily was getting tired of games, she was just getting tired in general.

"Do you remember the first time you came to visit me in here and what we spoke about?"

Emily nodded.

"Tell me, I want to hear it."

* * *

><p><em>"Would you take it all back?" Jessica asks as Emily sits down on the chair in front of her, she looks in pain and Jessica is impressed with herself. "That first night you came to my house?"<em>

I_t had been two in the morning. Emily could have gone home, she could have one to bed, rested for the next day. Instead she'd gone to Jessica's house. She'd thought about it on the drive there and when Jessica had opened the door in her night gown, she'd taken a step inside and then she'd kissed her._

_It had been Emily. She'd started it and she'd loved every minute of it. Then later, when Jessica took her she couldn't help but think that she'd deserved it. Her and Paige hadn't even been apart for a month._

_"Why did you do it?" she asks Jessica and her whole body is protesting in pain. Her ribs ache and her chest itches with an intensity that makes her want to scream._

_Jessica smiles. "Out of love," she says. "People think sex is power but do you know what's more powerful than sex? Violence."_

_Emily isn't sure if Jessica even knows what she's actually talking about. Them. The kidnapping. The fact that she'd turned herself in and saved Emily's life? Emily looks for something, anything in her green eyes._

_"I would take it all back," she says. "I wish I'd never met you Jessica." She means it too. She means it more than anything. "I would give anything for it not to have happened."_

_Jessica tilts her head, her dark hair folding against her shoulder, and Emily thinks she sees something authentic. A sliver of who Jessica really is, something sad and desperate._

_"I bet you still want me though don't you?" She asks, her voice teasing._

_Emily looks at her, takes a deep breath, and then looks at the ceiling._

* * *

><p>Jessica smiled at Emily's recollection. Pleased at the brunette's eye for detail. "Very good sweetheart, do you still feel the same?"<p>

"Yes," Emily said plainly. "I wish I'd never set eyes on you."

"Why am I even here?" she asked, finally looking up towards Jessica.

"You're seeing her," she said it casually, but Emily could see green eyes blazing in her direction.

Emily shook her head. Because it wasn't true. Whatever she had with Alison was certainly not defined in any manner, she didn't know if it ever would be. If she'd ever allow it to be. Alison scared her but not in a bad way.

"I'm not," she replied, she watched as Jessica rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.

"You want to be with her though."

Emily stood before she walked towards the door. She never replied.

_- x -_

When Alison arrived home there was a small envelope on the floor as she walked in, she nearly stood on it. Her name was printed on it and she recognised the scrawl instantly; it was Parker's. She threw her purse onto the kitchen island before she opened it, a silver CD slid out onto the counter with a small clatter. It had nine – one – one written on the front of it. Alison knew what it was immediately. She headed for the stairs.

Alison sat cross legged in the middle of her bed. She popped the CD into her laptop and waited as it loaded. She'd read the transcript of the call a dozen times already, she could even recall some of it word for word. But it was still thrilling to finally get a glimpse into the real time moment. Her mouse hovered over the play button before she finally clicked down on the mouse pad.

"Nine – one – one. What's your emergency?"

"My name is Jessica Jackson. I'm calling on behalf of Detective Emily Fields. Do you know who I am?"

"Yes."

"Good. Your detective needs to get to a trauma centre. I'm at four – three – three – nine Hunt Lane. We're in the basement. If your people get here in the next fifteen minutes, she might live." She hung up.

Alison sank back onto her bed and ran her hands over her forearms, which were dotted with tiny goose bumps. Jessica had sounded so calm. When Alison had thought of Jessica's voice, she'd imagined it being panicked and frantic. She was, in reality, turning herself into the police, giving up the ghost, letting go of her freedom. She could have been killed.

But she hadn't seemed distressed at all. Her voice did not bear a single tremor. She didn't stammer or search for the right words. She was direct, articulate and professional. Alison thought the whole thing actually sounded rehearsed. She shivered before she wrapped her arms around her body, she felt a wave of nausea at the thought of her run in with Jessica and tried to push it aside.

_- x -_

It was just after ten at night and the darkness was like a blanket surrounding Rosewood. Alison stood in the line at the take away diner across from the bank, she'd been in there a few times before she'd ever come into contact with Emily. She'd called Emily earlier and asked if the she wanted food, she'd said yes and gave Alison an order. Alison was just thrilled at the thought of seeing her again.

She listened carefully as Ashley stood behind the counter discussing Emily with another woman, who had a bag of food in her hand. She'd known Ashley from high school and she didn't think she'd ever heard her not gossiping about someone or something.

"Hi," Alison said, stretching the word to three syllables as she reached the counter. "I placed an order earlier for DiLaurentis."

Ashley looked up. She was a committed platinum blonde. No roots. Ever. She had the kind of automatic smile that had become meaningless by definition. Alison wasn't actually sure what she done beside take orders, read magazines and gossip. She was pretty though and she seemed to function as bait for the diner's sales team, like directing a cookie baking smell into a new model home.

"So, you know Emily Fields?" Alison questioned as she drew money out of her purse.

"She always says hello to me when she comes in here, so kind of," Ashley replied, her face beaming. Everyone seemed to smile at the thought of knowing or talking to Emily Fields. Alison wasn't sure if it was all for the right reasons.

Alison nodded at her explanation. "Why are you two together or something? No one really talks about her."_ Lies._ Alison could see Ashley's features become excited at the possibility of gossip that she imagined would spread like wild fire.

Alison shook her head a few times. "No, we are not together." _Maybe one day Ali. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. _

Ashley kept smiling at her. Alison wasn't sure if it was because her face was naturally in that position all the time and she couldn't actually change it or whether it was because Emily was still free and not with Alison.

"You know," Ashley said as she set Alison's order on the counter, her face a picture of helpfulness, "you should dye your hair darker. You'd look so much prettier."

Alison looked at her for a minute, just blinking slowly. Ashley looked back obliviously. "I was thinking about it," Alison said as she lifted her bag from the counter, "but then I read about hair dye causing cancer in lab rats."

"Lab rats?" Ashley replied, her eyes wide with horror.

Alison shrugged. "I have to run, this is Emily's order."

_- x -_

The task force office seemed empty in comparison to it's activity during the day. Only two detectives were at their desks and they looked absolutely shattered. The place was quiet and the over head light seemed to be even brighter. Alison squinted before she made her way back towards Emily's office. Her feet moved like they were walking on a well trodden, familiar path. Her stomach stirred.

Emily was sat at her desk when she noticed Alison walking towards her office, the blonde lifted her food up and she smiled at her reflexively. It was like an automatic response now when she saw Alison. She stood before she shrugged her jacket off and placed it over the back of her desk chair. Alison entered a second later, the smell of her burger and fries made her mouth water.

"Thank you for this," Emily stated as she pulled a fry from the container, Alison was sat across from her carefully unwrapping her food like it was a prized possession.

"It's okay, I thought you would have had a long day. Clearly I was right," Alison replied with a smile as she finally bit into her burger. She didn't usually eat junk food during the week but given the circumstances she allowed herself this treat.

There was comfortable silence as they ate. Comfortable silence's never really happened for Emily anymore. There was rarely ever time for it, most people had questions for her while other people just wanted to stare which made the silence uncomfortable all the same, but with Alison, it settled around them easily. Like she'd known the blonde for years. She watched as Alison attempted a few stolen glances at her.

"You should go home, it is getting pretty late."

Alison's eyes moved to the clock that hung on Emily's office wall. It was reaching midnight. She really should go home, but she didn't want to.

"What about you?" Alison asked.

Emily shrugged. "I don't have time to sleep right now." Alison thought she looked tired, exhausted even, and she wondered when Emily had last slept properly.

"Everyone needs sleep, Emily."

Alison was right. Everyone did need sleep, but not everyone saw what Emily did when she closed her eyes. When Alison closed her eyes she didn't see the basement, she didn't see Jessica hovering over her, she didn't smell death. Emily did. It was the one thing that nobody seemed to understand. Sleep was like a prison for her. It was all consuming.

"Okay, I will go home if you do too?" Emily offered as a truce. Alison smiled before she got to her feet.

"I can deal with that."

They walked out of the task force building. The place was deserted apart from a couple of faces that Emily recognised, they waved her off as she headed out the exit doors. The rain wasn't far away, Emily could see the grey clouds hanging over Rosewood even in the darkness. It would rain, it always did. She walked in step with Alison until they got to the blonde's car.

"I guess I will see you at some point tomorrow, you'll have questions I'm sure," Emily said as she rested her hand on Alison's shoulder, she could feel the blonde's skin under her fingers.

Alison smiled. "Journalists always do."

She watched as Emily turned on her heels, she stopped briefly to get her keys out of her pockets, and then she started walking again. Emily glanced over her shoulder at her, before shouting goodnight.

"Emily?" she called into the darkness. She wondered if Emily could even hear her half way across the parking lot but to her surprise the brunette spun on her heels.

"If you can't sleep, you can call me you know? Even if it's to tell me something you don't think is important to the profile."

"Thanks," Emily answered before she climbed into her car.

_- x -_

Emily slept with the light on. There were no pills on the table anymore. Four months ago there would have been a cheerful skyline of amber plastic bottles. She knew it hadn't been good for her but even now the table looked a little empty without the clutter. Now it was just her phone, a glass of water and a lamp. _Like normal people_. She kept her gun in the drawer, she usually slept with it loaded. _Not like normal people._

The Ambien prescription sat untouched in her medicine cabinet in the bathroom. They helped her sleep but she didn't take them, they made her disorientated and that wasn't a luxury she could afford. She just liked to know they were there. Besides, it wasn't getting to sleep that was the problem for her. It was _staying _asleep that was the problem.

She couldn't remember the last time she had slept all the way through. Her sleeping pattern was broken into hours here and there. As long as she controlled her thoughts though, and kept her mind from wandering to bad places, she was okay. Focus on the present and avoid the dark. It was simple.

It was one in the morning and Emily stared at the ceiling. Her bedroom window was open and she could hear the distant grind of construction equipment somewhere mixed in with the rain. The noise didn't bother her, it reminded her that she wasn't the only one awake. She wondered if Alison was still awake. Probably not.

Everyone had a cure for having a good nights sleep. Take a bath. Exercise. Drink herbal tea. Avoid caffeine, she had laughed at that one. Get a massage. Listen to music. Nothing worked for her. Dr Grant had told her to stay in bed. Don't even read he had told her, it would just make getting back to sleep even harder.

She just had to lie there.

But her pillow was too flat and the mattress groaned every time she rolled over. She ran her hand over chest, where her fingers found the heart shaped scar that Jessica had carved into her. Then she made a fist with her hand, rolled over and pinned it under her pillow.

Five minutes later she reached for her phone.

_- x -_

Alison fumbled for her phone, her eyes still closed. It was vibrating somewhere next to her head. She had left it there in the small possibility that Emily may call her. She pressed it to her ear without even looking at the screen.

"Hello," she croaked down the line, her voice was still full of sleep.

"Hi, it's Emily," came the reply. Alison sat up when she realised who it was. She drew the phone away from her face to read the time. It had just left one thirty.

"I didn't think you would call," Alison admitted as she settled back onto her side. Talking to Emily at this time of night was oddly reassuring for her. She felt like a teenager again.

"Neither did I."

There was a brief silence as Alison yawned into the phone. "Are you okay?" she asked. Emily could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep. So I wondered if you were awake but if you want to sleep it's fine, I can go."

Alison shook her head before she remembered that Emily couldn't actually see her. "No."

"My favourite colour is red," Alison smiled at the brunette's random admission.

"I like red too, but my favourite colour is yellow. But not that crappy yellow you guys have down at the old bank."

Emily laughed. That really was a nasty shade of yellow that they had. "Yeah, that's pretty horrible. I have superhero socks that I wear frequently."

Alison giggled, her mind flew back to when Emily had first answered her apartment door in her sweatpants and Superman socks. "I remember them from the other night, very mature for a twenty seven year old. I wear my black and white striped sweater because it looks French and I've always wanted to go to Paris."

Emily nodded to herself. "I'd like to go to Paris too some day."

"Okay, tell me some more things about you?" Alison asked.

Emily searched for something else to tell Alison. "I Want To Break Free by Queen is my guilty pleasure song."

Alison laughed into her phone. "Oh God, I think mine would have to be Shania Twain's Man I Feel Like A Woman. I'm a country girl at heart, somewhere. Tell me more facts about you, yours is better."

She pondered the question carefully, adding just enough lilt to her voice so that Alison would know that it was a joke. "Okay, I was kidnapped by a homicidal maniac and then she let me go."

"You don't do this often do you?" Alison teased.

Emily grinned. "Nope. Not at all."

Alison rolled over onto her back, she wondered if that's how Emily was lying in bed too. "Can I ask you something serious then since technically you brought it up?"

Alison would never lose her journalistic inquisitiveness, Emily knew that much already. "Yes."

"I spoke to Dr Grant today, do you really not remember what happened in the seven days that she had you?"

Emily blinked slowly and let her eyes settle on the ceiling, "I remember those seven days better than I remember anything else in my life, Ali."

Alison swallowed thickly. "So why would you tell me that but no one else?"

There was a brief silence before she heard Emily sigh into the phone. "Because I want to tell you."


	7. Creep

_Your reviews are so humbling, honestly you guys are awesome! Someone messaged me to ask if I could break Jessica out of prison, how fun would that be? But I'm unsure how I would write that! This is a very crime scene orientated chapter but it's necessary and I debated about how to do this so it would all fit and tie together but I decided on this way. I don't normally post on a Saturday but I wasn't doing much so here we go. Enjoy! And have a great day/night._

* * *

><p><em>"So, how does it feel for you?" Emily asks. The Vicodin has made things better. She is only barely aware now. The wound on her abdomen is red and hard with fluid, she can feel the burning pain of infection but she doesn't mind it. She doesn't even mind the heavy smell of death that suffocates everything around her.<em>

_Sweat clings to her and her body feels loose and warm, her blood feels sticky under the surface. There is Emily. And there is Jessica. And there is the basement. It is like they are in a waiting room for death. So Emily makes conversation_.

_Jessica sits in a chair next to her bed, her hand resting on Emily's, her thumb caressing the back of Emily's palm. "It feels intense, and beautiful and deplorable."_

A bit like you Jessica, Emily thinks to herself.

_"You're special sweetheart, don't you understand that?" Jessica's hand flutters in the air for a moment before she picks up the scalpel that's stained a rusty red colour. She holds it against Emily's chest before she begins to carve. Emily can barely feel it._

_The blade is razor sharp and Jessica is not cutting deeply. Emily watches as her bruised skin splits beneath the blade, the blood sticking for a second, oxygenating, and then flowing bright red from the wound. That's the main sensation: the blood running down her side, leaving a trail of crimson that pools under her on the sweat soaked sheet._

_Emily watches her, her brow furrowed in concentration as she doodles on Emily's flesh. "There," Jessica says finally. "It's a heart."_

_"Who's it for? I thought I wasn't getting out of here? No one will see it."_

_"It's for you," Jessica says enthusiastically, "It's my heart for you." She glances wistfully down at Emily's abdomen. "Of course, it is going to get infected. I don't have the proper anti biotics for you, well not any that will slow the infection down."_

_Emily smiles at the ceiling. "Are you worried about me Jessica?"_

_Jessica nods. "You have to fight the infection Emily. You have to stay alive sweetheart."_

_"Why? So you can kill me another sadistic way?" Emily asks._

_"Yes."_

_"You're crazy."_

_"I'm not crazy," Jessica argues, her voice thin with desperation. "I'm very sane. And if you die before I want you to, I will go after the people you love the most. You will stay alive until I tell you. Got it?"_

_Emily nods._

_"Say it."_

_"I've got it."_

* * *

><p>Exhaustion enveloped Emily's body as she made her way into her sad apartment, she locked the door behind her, before flicking the light on. When she looked around she decided that it was better with the light off. There had finally been some movement in the case, they had two people of interest, and she was glad. <em>Finally.<em>

For her first case back, the pace of it had been relentless so far and it was starting to show. Her ribs ached more than usual and her whole body felt tired. Dropping her jacket over the couch she made her way down the hall towards the bathroom.

She began to fill the bathtub with scalding water, it would take a few minutes to fill, so she turned on her heels and made her way into the kitchen. She pulled out two Vicodin from the brass pillbox and popped them into her mouth, the bitter chalky taste coated her tongue. Despite being used to it, she still grimaced.

She stood in front of the open fridge. A look inside revealed a pathetic view of her lack of domestic talents – a box of left over Chinese, four bottles of water, half a bagel twisted in plastic wrap and a half empty large yoghurt pot. She could cook, she had just got lazy recently. She'd had other things to worry about. She grabbed a bottle of water and slammed the door shut.

When she returned to the bathroom she turned the water off and looked in the mirror, she looked tired. She felt tired. Shedding her clothes she hissed as the hot water initially hit her skin before she slid her wearied body into the warm embrace of the water.

Once she was settled she closed her eyes and focused on the case. They were missing something, she could feel it. Her detective's instinct kicking in. It was in front of them and they couldn't see it. On the boundary of her peripheral vision and yet just out of reach. He hadn't taken anyone in days, something was wrong, something was out of place. They had scared him with the last woman and now something had changed.

They had two teachers at Rosewood High School who fitted the profile Spencer had given them. Paul MacKay whose alibi checked out and Martin Banks who had no one to confirm his. None had been convicted of any prior convictions and she had a feeling that they were maybe just clutching at straws. But the profile had fitted them so they'd placed both under routine house stops just to be sure and it had drawn nothing so far.

Her thoughts divulged onto a certain blonde journalist who she had seen nearly every day for over a week. Who she had spoken to far more than she had ever expected and who she had shared more with than she probably should have. Despite her initial rejection at the idea of having her around, she was glad Alison had come into her life. She'd been in the tub over thirty minutes and the water had started to cool.

She climbed out of the luke warm water before she padded towards her bedroom. Drying quickly she picked out a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's t-shirt from her wardrobe before she threw on a pair of shorts and settled onto her bed with the light still on. She wondered briefly if Alison would like her shirt since she had laughed at her Superman socks. She smiled to herself. Alison would appreciate this humour.

It was over an hour later that her phone vibrated noisily on the bed side table. She let it ring three times before she pressed her phone to her ear.

"Guess who?" Alison greeted her playfully.

"No idea, surprise me," Emily replied, before she bit her lip almost shyly.

_- x -_

It was only just getting light outside, and the forecast online was a row of yellow suns on blue skies. Sure enough, a glance out her bedroom window revealed slivers of clear blue. Alison was unimpressed. People didn't appreciate the rain until it wasn't there. She stretched before she headed downstairs.

She sat on the couch and watched the morning pedestrians walk past her house with their coffee and brief cases. She should have been working, the next story was due tomorrow but she had still to listen to the recording of her encounter with Jessica. The thought made her a little sick. Alison gritted her teeth and then swallowed a mouthful of the bitter coffee that Emily drank. She shook her head, she definitely needed sugar in hers.

It was just after nine and Emily was browsing through her emails when Alison waltzed into her office. She smiled before she clicked off the email window, her attention fully on the blonde.

"Good morning, do we have an interview that I missed or something?" Emily asked as she sorted a pile of papers on her desk so that they were neat and tidy. "Or are you here to tell me I am a great conversationalist at night?"

"Nope, I have the latest story due tomorrow and I don't want to start it and you already know you are anyway," Alison replied with a shrug as she slouched into one of the chairs in front of Emily's desk.

"You should have seen my bed time t – shirt last night, the Ninja Turtles you would have loved it, almost as much as my Superman socks," Emily laughed softly as Alison grinned across the desk at her.

Alison was about to speak again when Spencer Hastings walked into Emily's office, it seemed like the place to be that morning. She looked historically elegant. She had a water bottle tucked under her arm, her dark hair fell around her aristocratic neck, her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than Emily's and Alison noticed she had on a pair of boots that Alison had bought a few weeks previous. Coincidentally she was wearing hers today too. She wondered if Spencer would notice them.

"I think you two have met, but Alison this is Spencer, Spencer this is Alison," Emily said as she sat back into her chair, Spencer extended her hand to Alison before she took a seat next to the blonde.

"I love your boots," Spencer said.

"I know right? They are fabulous," Alison said with a smile. "I love yours too." _Of course she would notice she's a profiler Alison._

"Yeah," Emily stated with a smile. "You two are going to get a long just fine, but if you would excuse me I need coffee, do you two want anything?" Both of them shook their heads as Emily walked out of her office and down the corridor.

She glanced at Spencer before she decided to take advantage of being in Emily's office with the task force's profiler. She was still a journalist after all.

"So this guy they are looking for," she said to Spencer. "Do you think he's crazy or what?"

"My professional opinion? He may have an issue or two yes," Spencer replied as she looked out the small window.

_Understatement_, Alison thought to herself. "He's going to kill another woman?"

Spencer turned in her chair slightly to face Alison. "Why would he stop?"

"So do you think he works at Rosewood High School since that's where the connections are?"

Spencer lifted her water to her mouth and took a drink before she shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."

"Do you like profiling?" Alison asked.

"Yeah," Spencer smiled and took another sip of her water, "I'm good at it most of the time and everyday is different, you never know what's coming next."

"How did you get into it?"

"I wanted to be a lawyer, my Mom's a lawyer, a very good one at that. Anyway, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but then I realised it wasn't what I wanted to do, it was what I was expected to do so I turned to this, plus being a lawyer you are mostly always around death. Toby, he's my husband, he already worked with the police here and he told me about Rosewood wanting to train some women in the dark arts and turned out I wasn't bad at it."

Alison tilted her head in Spencer's direction. "Profiling seems like a weird field to get into if you wanted to get away from death."

"Okay death was maybe the wrong word for it. Usually, being a lawyer, the victim is usually dead and you are trying to defend the criminal not the victim. Here, there is always a chance that you will catch the killer before anyone else dies."

Alison thought of Jessica Jackson. "What makes a person do this sort of thing?" She didn't know if she actually wanted to hear the answer or not.

Spencer rested her elbow on the arm rest of the leather chair before she sat her chin in her palm. She cupped her hand around her jaw.

"There was this study of prisoners and they were all asked would they rather run into a dog or a person with a gun? You know what the majority said?" She spun the water bottle in her other hand. "The person with a gun. A dog won't hesitate to rip your throat out but eight out of ten times you can battle a gun out a person's hands or walk away. Know why?"

"Because it's hard to shoot someone," Alison answered.

Spencer's eyes were dancing with professional know how. "Exactly, and that's what is broken in this guy. I don't know if he works for the school but I hope he does because if he does we will catch him."

Alison wasn't satisfied. "But how does that get broken in a person?"

The brunette made a small toasting motion with her bottle. "Nature, nurture, a combo of both. Take your pick really."

Alison hooked her clasped hands over her knee and leaned closer to Spencer, her voice low in case Emily came back. She didn't really want Emily to hear her discussing Jessica with other people. It felt wrong. "But someone can break it for you right? Like Jessica Jackson did. How did she do that? How did she get people to kill for her?"

Spencer's eyes darted towards the door, seemed like she had the same idea as Alison. "She's a master manipulator. Psychopaths usually are and she chose very vulnerable men."

"She tortured them too? Her accomplices, she tortured them like she did with Emily?"

Spencer shook her head. "No," she said. "She used something much more fool proof than that, she used sex."

Emily suddenly appeared at her office door, she was out of breath, her cheeks were reddening. "He's took another woman, grab your stuff." Spencer stood quickly before she headed out of Emily's office. "You can come too," she said to Alison.

_- x -_

Alison felt sick at the notion of walking into a growing family tragedy and she didn't want to make herself feel worse by walking around holding her notebook that screamed '_Look I'm a journalist and I'm here to take advantage of your situation_.' I am a serious journalist she told herself in an effort to dampen her unease.

A. Serious. Journalist. Emily wouldn't have brought her otherwise.

Amy Ireland's house was heaving with cops. They walked around freely. Alison saw Emily in the living room on one knee in front of a stricken man who had his head in his hands. His eyes were blood shot like he had been crying for hours. Alison reckoned he probably had been. He looked at Emily as if she was the only person in the room, in the world, as if Emily would be able to save his girlfriend.

Alison moved into the entryway when she felt Spencer nudge her arm. Toby was behind Spencer and then Emily approached them not a minute later, she ran her hand through her hair before she spoke. Alison felt like one of the team.

"She's been gone since last night, fuck knows why we are just being called now," Emily said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She was downstairs, he came up to bed to read before ten. He drifted off and when he woke up she wasn't in bed, so he came down here to get her and the kitchen door was wide open. Crime scene technicians are in there right now."

Alison thought Emily looked better this morning. She looked more alert, like she had slept properly. She had a steeled look in her eyes and that was a good sign. She wondered if their late night phone calls weren't just helping her.

Spencer's face furrowed slightly. "Are we sure it's him?" she asked. "This doesn't fit, he takes them from public areas, this seems far too risky."

Emily motioned them into the living room where she removed a framed photograph from the wall and handed it to Spencer. Toby looked over his wife's shoulder. Alison had no idea what they were all thinking. It was a photograph of a woman in her early twenties, she had a friendly face and wide set blue eyes.

"Fuck, she looks like the other four," Toby said under his breath.

"Why would he change his MO?" Spencer mused aloud.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Emily replied as she placed the photo back into it's rightful place.

"Too much security at the school if that is where the connection lies, he may know we've figured that part out. He's worried he won't be able to get to them through there. Maybe he followed her home at one point. This is risky though, really risky, but in the bigger picture it is better for us because it means he's getting reckless. We're close guys."

"I don't know if I want to know but what school did Amy go to, just to be sure?" Toby asked.

Emily smiled grimly. "Rosewood, just like all of us standing here."

_- x -_

"It wasn't MacKay," Emily said, "he's been on house check since last night." Alison's head snapped around to the brunette.

"Why would you think it was him anyway?" she asked.

Toby interjected. "He's been under surveillance, his alibi checked out but he fits the profile pretty well, we placed him under house checks, same with Martin Banks."

"They two fit Spencer's profile? I had both of them when I was at school."

"So did I," Spencer confirmed.

"MacKay fits the profile better than anyone right now. Except for his annoying habit of having an alibi at the time of the crimes," Emily said before she turned to Toby. "Find out if any teachers showed up to Rosewood wearing a ski mask," she smiled wanly. "Or you know, anything out of the norm."

"I will come with you," Spencer offered before her and Toby walked out of the house and towards the police car.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked as she saw Alison rock on her heels slightly, the blonde's attention seemed far away from where they were. Emily wondered what was going through her head.

"Yeah, just thinking about the story, I really should have got it started," Alison answered with a small smile. She was lying, and Emily knew it. Before she could ask any more Toby reappeared.

"MacKay's at home but Martin Banks didn't show today," Toby explained.

Emily looked at her watch. "How late is he?" she asked.

"Mr Banks I can't believe that, surely not," Alison said. "There is no way."

Toby ignored her. "His first class started an hour ago. He hasn't called in sick he just hasn't showed up and no one is answering his home phone."

Emily nodded her head. "I think that might be worth looking into."

_- x -_

Emily knocked on the door of Martin Banks' 1970s bungalow so hard that she thought the skin on her knuckles might split. It was a compact one storey brick house set in the middle of an obsessively tended yard. A row of small hedges lined the paved walkway to the door. The door, in a splash of personality, was painted bright red. The doorbell looked like it hadn't been used since the house had been built.

"Martin," Emily called. She knocked again. The door had a glass window but it was curtained and Emily couldn't see anything other than a slice of the inside of the house.

Emily motioned with her hand for Rachel to go around the side of the house. Toby stood at the other side with another officer and Alison, wearing a yellow vest with _Ride Along _printed on the back, had wedged herself closely in behind Emily.

Alison could feel the adrenaline beating in her ears, Emily was impressive. Her calm nature replaced by an authoritative, in control detective, Alison was almost mesmerised by her. She gestured for Alison to stand back, which she did. And then Emily drew her gun and knocked again.

"Martin, it's the police. Open up for us." There was silence.

"You want to get it?" She asked Toby.

Toby shielded his face with his elbow and gave the window a hard thump with the handle of his gun. The window shattered and broke into pieces that slid from the frame and then fell into the house in an explosion of shattered glass. As soon as the glass was broken the stench of death hit them. Everyone recognised it. Alison had to put her hand over her mouth before she walked away down the paved pathway.

Emily nodded at Toby and the officer to go in before she turned and headed in the direction of the blonde. She wasn't hard to find, her back was hunched, her palms were on her knees and Emily imagined that whatever she had for breakfast was now lying in the middle of Martin Banks' pristine garden.

It wasn't an easy thing to do. She'd spent the last year trying to avoid touching people but she reached her hand out, tentatively, onto the blonde's back. She rubbed gentle circles until Alison's back straightened.

"I'm not cut out for this kind of thing Emily," Alison mumbled. Emily smiled because she knew it wasn't for everyone.

"That's okay Ali," she replied as the blonde turned to face her. Her eyes were watering and she could tell Alison was trying hard not to look back towards the door, trying not to remember the smell. "Whatever is inside that house, you don't want to see, trust me on that."

Alison nodded before she wiped the corner of her mouth. Emily cleared her throat before she took the side of the blonde's hand in her own. She hoped Alison couldn't feel her hand shaking.

"I will get an officer to drop you off at the office for your car, go home and get started on your article it will take your mind off of things."

"Thank you, Em."

There was an awkward moment, where they both looked down at their hands linked together. _Be bold Alison, Emily said she preferred that. Do it! _Alison leaned into Emily before she pressed her head onto the brunette's shoulder. She felt Emily stiffen at the contact before the brunette's arms wrapped softly around her. Emily didn't hold her tight but it was enough.

Emily pulled away first, cleared her throat, and then made her way over to a standing officer without saying a word. Alison had hugged her, she'd felt the blonde pressed against her, she could still feel it now as she told an officer to take her home. Her body felt flushed.

"Call me later if you want?" Alison offered as she sat in the back seat of a police cruiser.

"I will," Emily replied before she shut the door for Alison. She waited until the car had disappeared out of view before she headed back towards the house.

She moved inside. Emily loved this part. Even the Vicodin couldn't quell the natural surge of adrenaline and endorphins. Her body felt alive with energy. Her breathing and heart rate increased; her muscles tightened. She was never more alert. She moved through the house, taking in every detail.

Bookcases filled the corner of the living room, the shelves were stacked with books and knick knacks. Four singular chairs sat around a coffee table, it was cluttered with newspapers, the story Alison had written about her was on the top. Emily moved through the hallway, she could hear Rachel padding around upstairs, Toby was standing in the kitchen doorway a few steps in front of her, gun by his side.

Martin Banks lay face down on the kitchen table, his head resting in a crimson pool of blood. His left arm was stretched across the table, his right was folded at the elbow, the gun still in his hand. He was facing them but there was no doubt he had been dead much of the night.

"Fuck," Emily sighed.

By the time she had a look around the kitchen, there were her, Toby, Rachel and two other members from her team in the kitchen. "Turn this place upside down," she said. "Maybe we will get lucky and Amy will still be here somewhere."

But she didn't believe it.

_- x -_

It seemed to Emily that every cop in Rosewood had descended on Martin Banks' small house. Crime scene tape zigzagged around the garden to keep the growing list of press and nosey neighbours at bay. TV reporters and cameramen had positioned themselves as close as they could to the tape for their breaking news reports.

Emily had been on the phone explaining the situation to Alison when they had found Wendy Somers' missing bike, she'd wanted to make sure the blonde had got to the task force office okay. A cop searching the garage had found it, hidden under blue tarp. Cops gathered around it, scratching their heads while newspaper photographers tried to snap pictures of it. Emily thought about Amy Ireland and where she was.

"So he killed himself?" Spencer asked.

"Looks like it," Emily replied sadly as the Mayor approached them with two sheets of notes.

"This the guy we've been looking for?"

"I think so," Emily answered.

The Mayor nodded before he pulled an expensive looking pair of sunglasses out of his pocket. "Where's the woman?"

Emily glanced at Spencer. "We don't know," Spencer answered for them.

"Fuck," the Mayor said under this breath. He took a breath and nodded a few times to himself as if giving himself a pep talk. "Okay, so let's focus on the fact that this maniac is off our streets."

"Are you Fields?" A voice called from inside the house. Emily turned to head back inside, she had to take a few deep breaths to get used to the smell again.

"Yeah, that's me."

A young Asian man with shoulder length hair, wearing a white Tyvek suit sat on the kitchen counter. "I'm Derek with the ME's office, I just thought you should know that there's a few issues with our dead guy here."

"A few issues?" Emily asked.

"Okay, more than a few."

After listening to the guy talk about death grips and bullet holes and blow back Emily's head was reeling. She was quite sure she knew where he was going with it but a large part of her didn't want to say it out loud.

"Are you telling me this here wasn't suicide? That someone shot him and then put the gun in his hand?"

Derek shrugged a little. "No not for definite, but I am saying it's very, very possible."

Emily leaned her head back in frustration. This was going from bad to worse. Instead of having one maniac to find, she potentially had two. She looked at the ceiling and noticed the light that sat in the middle of the ceiling.

"Did anyone turn this light off?"

Everyone around the kitchen area looked at her with vacant expressions. It wasn't anyone's first day and they knew better than that. She poked her head out the door into the garden and asked again. No one volunteered. She shut the door and turned back in Derek's direction.

"What's the time of death?"

"He probably didn't shoot himself in the dark if that's what you mean, sunset was about six thirty maybe a little later. What I've seen so far I would imagine this happened not too long after that."

Amy Ireland's boyfriend had gone to bed just before ten and she had been alive and well. Emily ran her hand through her hair before she turned and attempted to find Toby.

_- x -_

Aria Montgomery pulled into a parking spot in front of Alison's house. Alison picked at a thread on her jeans, feeling it between her fingers before letting it float onto the car mat.

"Are you sure you are okay Ali?" Aria asked as she leaned over and put her hand on her friends shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The smell just knocked me for six, I couldn't drive I kept shuddering every time I remembered it," she laughed, although really it wasn't funny. "It's okay though, I will get my car tomorrow. Emily will give me a lift or something."

"You like her don't you? Since when do you like women?" Aria teased, pushing the blonde gently. Alison smiled over at her.

"Maybe a little, sometimes I think she may think that way too and other times I can't read her at all. And it's not plural, it's just Emily. I don't know what it is," Alison shrugged in her seat.

"Do you want to come in for coffee?" she asked.

Aria made an apologetic face. "I've got to get back to work."

"That's okay, Emily said she would phone me back soon anyway to let me know what was going on." She hugged her best friend before she got out of the car and walked towards her house.

_- x -_

Emily walked into the back yard where Toby stood with a crime scene technician. He had both hands threaded together around the back of his neck. "Have they printed the bike yet?"

Toby turned to face her, she knew by his face it was clean. "Yeah, it's completely clean."

Emily chewed on her cheek and stood with her hands on her hips, facing into Banks' house. It didn't make sense to her. Why go to the trouble of wiping down the bike and then keeping it? Why risk keeping evidence?

She ignored the vibrating feeling in her pocket, she literally didn't have time to talk to Alison right now. Instead she picked her phone out her pocket and sent the blonde a quick text to say she'd call soon and explain what she could.

"Does Banks' fit the profile Spence, like really fit it?" Emily asked, not caring that the brunette was in the middle of a conversation with Rachel.

"Yes," Spencer answered before she paused. "Except some of it is not quite right."

_Surprise, surprise._ "How do you mean it's not quite right?"

"Imagine we bumped into Martin Banks' on the street or he offered us a lift somewhere, would we go with him? He wasn't attractive, he wasn't really liked at school by what we can gather, and he certainly wasn't nice when we were at school. That doesn't add up to me."

Emily nodded a few times before she chewed her cheek again. "Jesus Emily, you don't think he shot himself do you?"

"I really don't know."

Emily turned her attention onto Rachel. "I want you and another officer back on MacKay."

"The officers said he was at home all last night, didn't see him leave once," Rachel replied, "I don't think he's the guy."

Emily sighed. "Just do it please."

She walked quickly over to the Mayor who was in deep conversation with his aide.

"You can't announce this, Banks's isn't our guy."

The Mayor looked at her as if she had grown three heads. "Excuse me? Tell me you are fucking kidding me, Fields?"

"There's a very high chance that this is all a set up."

"I can't not announce it now. He's dead. Wendy Somers' bike was found in his garage, it's all over the damn TV."

Emily reached out and turned the Mayor in the direction of Martin Banks' car. "That car is not big enough to house him, a fully grown woman and a bike. I'm telling you, do not announce this."

"So what the hell am I supposed to say?"

"You're the politician. Find a way to tell everyone that we don't have a fucking clue what is going on in a way that makes us look like we do know what the fuck is going on."

_- x -_

Alison sat on the couch with her laptop and a glass of white wine, and started writing about Jessica Jackson. Her phone sat next to her in case Emily called or texted. She didn't really care which one it was.

She was glad it had been Banks, even if she was surprised. She didn't want Emily knowing about Paul MacKay, that was buried in the past. She'd seen him briefly a month ago when she had been back at the school to write a story and she never spoke to him, she never even really got a good look at him.

She shook the thoughts from her head before she turned her attention back into the laptop. A deadline story about Jessica Jackson. Jessica who made Alison's teeth hurt. Alison was convinced though, that if she could get Jessica down on print, she could somehow understand Emily better and that's what she wanted.

When she heard the knock at the door, her first thought that it might be Emily. She had the brief fantasy that Emily had solved everything at Banks' house and had come over to see her and tell her all about it and share a glass of wine with her. She knew in her head that this was an absurd fantasy. She smiled at it anyway before another knock interrupted her thoughts. She put on a smile for whoever it was and opened the door.

But it wasn't Emily. It was Paul MacKay.

* * *

><p><em>Ah cliffhanger I know but who doesn't love them?! And well done to the reviewer who guessed that the case Emily was working on had something to do with Alison.<em>


	8. Under Pressure

_It was lovely to see so many of you wanting more chapters, so for that I am completely thankful. If you want then hit me with a review, they are very appreciated!_

* * *

><p>Alison blinked slowly at the man in front of her. It had been nearly ten years but he still looked like the handsome teacher she could remember. He was in his late thirties now, his dark hair still sat perfectly and his dark brown eyes still had that youthful look about them. She could remember him well.<p>

"It's good to see you Ali," he said. "You look great," he added as he let his eyes wander over her. He opened his arms in a hugging gesture and she took a step back, tightening her grip on the front door. She wanted to slam it in his face and never see him for another eight years. He smelled strange, like disinfectant and antiseptic solution.

"Paul," she said as she continued to blink slowly at him. "What are you doing at my house?"

He laughed at her. Letting his arms swing around his sides. Now this was fucked up. She wanted to call Emily.

"I heard about Banks. I just never saw that one coming."

Banks. She still couldn't get her head around that one. Sure he'd been a pain in her ass at school and was never one of the most popular teachers but still, she'd never have expected that kind of depravity from him. Three women were dead, she didn't hold out much hope for Amy Ireland either.

She attempted to close the door, but he jammed his foot in it and leaned against the outside of the door frame. She had a feeling this was all wrong, this wasn't supposed to be happening. He shouldn't be there at her front door.

"How did you find my address?" she stuttered as her hand gripped a hold of the door handle. She couldn't see them but she could tell that her knuckles were white.

"You can find anything online nowadays Ali, you should know that doing the job you do." He glanced over his shoulders quickly, as if assessing the situation, before his eyes landed back on her again. "It was hard for me after you left the Drama Club, I left you messages and everything. I even tried to get you out of classes. You never responded."

"I was seventeen."

He shrugged casually, as if it didn't matter. It didn't anymore, she had mostly forgotten about it. It wasn't something that was ever mentioned by her, she had been embarrassed years ago. But it wasn't her fault, she knew that then, she still did now.

"I thought we had something."

He leaned further into the door, his expression serious. His eyes were glazed with something Alison couldn't pin point. She wanted to jam his neck in it. She ran her hand through her hair, not because it was needed, but because it was something to do.

"How could you possibly think that Paul? You kissed me and I shoved you away and then you kissed me again when I said no. I shoved you away again, and I haven't spoken to you since. You don't know me anymore."

She kept quiet about seeing him the previous month when she had been back at the school. She had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

"I have to go," she said as she attempted to shut the door again, this time his foot jammed in further. He was inching slowly closer to her with every passing second.

She looked from his foot back up to his dark eyes, his face wore a vicious grin. Like the Joker from Batman. And that's when it hit her. The smell, his smell. It wasn't disinfectant or antiseptic solution it was bleach. She was pretty sure that the same bleach coated her boots upstairs, the boots that she had worn to the Wendy Somers' crime scene.

"I wouldn't shut the door on me if I was you Ali."

_- x -_

Spencer sat in the police cruiser flicking through one of the Rosewood High School yearbooks that she had picked up from a shelf in Martin Banks' living room. Emily had a hunch about MacKay and she knew better than to argue with her best friend. She turned the page to be met by a now familiar face.

Alison hadn't changed much, she was a little thinner and a little less mature looking but her blonde hair and bright blue eyes were standouts. She hadn't fully come into the beauty that was waiting for her. Spencer noticed that she was a standout at Rosewood High School's Drama Club.

And that's when Spencer realised.

She scrambled for another yearbook, a more recent one, flicking through it rapidly until she found what she had been looking for. Wendy Somers' with her blonde hair and blue eyes had also been a member of the Drama Club. She stood next to Paul MacKay in the photo. She'd obviously dyed her hair since then but in high school her hair had been golden. Her thought's drifted to the blonde haired, blue eyed Amy Ireland, and Spencer knew that they would find that she had been a member of the Drama Club too.

She opened the door quickly before she walked quickly into Martin Banks' house. Emily was leaning against the fire place, her face towards the ceiling as if saying a silent prayer. She pulled the yearbooks apart before she clutched them against her chest, attempting to get them side by side. Emily looked at her with wide eyes, clearly startled at the intrusion of her quiet moment, before her eyes fell onto the pictures that Spencer was holding.

"Fucking hell," Emily muttered as she craned her head to look closer at the yearbook photos. "They've all been substitutes." Spencer could see the colour draining from Emily's face. She didn't have much colour in her face nowadays anyway, but what she did have she had lost.

"Why did you have a hunch about MacKay?"

She could see Emily hesitate for a second before her eyes narrowed on Alison's yearbook photo, her hand reaching out to run her fingertips over it. It was almost like a silent promise of protection.

"When we went to the school first time around with Toby she said she had him as a teacher but it was more a mumble, like she didn't want to admit it. Then earlier today she went really rigid when I said we were looking at MacKay, she nearly gave herself whiplash looking round at me."

Emily had no qualms in her mind that Alison's relationship with MacKay had blurred the lines of a simple teacher student relationship. It had crossed the boundary at some point in time whether it was mutual or not she didn't know. The thought of his hands on her as a student made Emily silently angry.

"But he has an alibi, Spence."

Spencer laid the yearbooks out on one of the singular chairs that sat around Martin Banks' coffee table. MacKay had taught the Drama Club for nearly fifteen years. Spencer could remember him, not well as she'd only had him for a year, but she could remember him. They'd all been members of the Drama Club, but Alison had been the first.

She'd been the _one. _

"This whole thing is about Alison," Spencer stated calmly as she looked between the photos again. "There was bleach at the Wendy Somers' crime scene because she had dyed her hair darker, he wanted it blonde again to morph her into an Alison look a like. She had the same face shape, same eye colour but the hair was wrong. That's why he only used bleach with her."

Emily's phone rang in her pocket, in her haste to grab it she almost dropped it. It was Rachel, she pressed it quickly to her ears as Spencer turned the page of one of the yearbooks again. Spencer looked up when Emily's fist clenched into a ball, the brunette's face was hard and serious, her brows knitting in the middle of her head. She shoved her phone in her pocket as soon as the conversation had finished.

"MacKay isn't home. He went out in his car and managed to lose the tail in the traffic."

Toby came in just as Emily was heading out the front door, both of them bumping into one another. "It's MacKay," she said to Toby as he looked down at her puzzled. "He's the one we are after. Tell every single officer here that he's our guy. Get a warrant. Arrest him and for fuck sake get someone over to Alison's house. Now."

_- x -_

Alison's head throbbed with such ferocity that she thought her temples might explode. She was on the floor, her hands tied tightly behind her back, wires cutting into her skin. She could feel the muscles of her shoulders stretching uncomfortably in the position. Her eyelids felt heavy and sticky but she wasn't blindfolded. Paul had put every light on in the living room as if to illuminate the whole thing.

She could smell gasoline. Panic took over and she jerked her body violently in an attempt to get free. She could feel her skin rubbing raw against the wires that he had used on her. An uncontrollable shudder came over her body, and she fought to keep her teeth from chattering together. The pain in her head sent a shock wave of pain through her whole body.

"Paul?" she asked, quietly. She couldn't see or hear him anywhere. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Alison," his voice was cold and brutal. "You need to be quiet right now."

He was behind her, near the window somewhere. She could hear him grazing a match against the box, a small hiss coming from it when the flame burned into nothing.

"I thought we would spend some quality time together," he said and his voice caught in the back of his throat. "Like you said earlier, I don't know you anymore."

_- x -_

Emily sat in silence staring out of the window as Toby sped towards the DiLaurentis' house. Night had already fallen over Rosewood, and with it came rain. Not your typical heavy downpour but a steady, annoying British type drizzle. The sky was covered in a grey blanket of clouds. The wet weather would go on for hours. When Alison hadn't answered the phone, her thoughts had gone down a dark path.

Emily was softly massaging between her eyebrows with her index finger, focusing her attention on the raindrops of the passenger's window. Her thoughts were tangled in a tight cluster, and she was trying to unwind them. In the space of a few hours, the whole complexion of their case had changed.

Toby's attention was on the road but he'd noticed his partner's change in mood outside Martin Banks' house. Something about Alison had really gotten underneath Emily's skin.

"Can I ask you something?" Toby asked tentatively.

"Sure," Emily answered without breaking her stare out the window.

"Are you and Alison… you know?"

Emily closed her eyes. "No."

Toby knew better than to push for an answer so he allowed the silence to stretch a little. "We will get to her Em, don't worry."

"You better be right," Emily replied as she rotated the pillbox in her pocket. "If you're not, he will kill her."

_- x -_

"All this time it was you," Alison said.

Alison's breath felt like the loudest thing in the world. She willed herself to slow her heart beat down, she had to relax and get him talking. Make him think that you are not afraid, Alison thought to herself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You're sorry? Are you kidding me? You're sick you need some sort of help."

He looked at her before he stroke another match, lowering it to the carpet before laughing. Her heart was about to burst her chest and all she could think about was Emily. That if she died, Emily would probably be the one who would have to investigate it. Would have to rummage about her house for clues, unless of course, it was burnt to the ground by that time. The odds were in that scenario's favour.

"You haven't changed much Alison," he said simply.

"Where's Amy?" she asked, her voice was hoarse with tears.

She saw him hesitate for a second before he grinned again. He was playing her like a fool, he had the control and she could do absolutely nothing to help herself. Except maybe pray that Emily had figured it all out and she was on her way to save her. Alison could think of much worse people to save her than the brunette.

He crouched in front of her before he reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She recoiled and reflexively closed her eyes as the bile rose in her throat. The brightness of the room was starting to give her a headache. It reminded her of the task force office overhead lights that were attached to the ceiling. She didn't like them either.

"It's your fault, all of this," he said. "You shouldn't have come back to the school."

It was then that Alison made a promise to herself, she was not going to die. Not now. And certainly not at the hands of Paul fucking MacKay.

_- x -_

The Kevlar vest fitted snugly around Emily's abdomen. The weight of it pressed against her chest and she found it harder to breathe. _Just concentrate. _They had finally rolled to a stop a few houses away from Alison's. There was a car parked out front that wasn't the blondes. MacKay's. The house was lit up like a Christmas tree. There didn't look as if there was one single light off.

"What's the plan?" Toby asked. He had already radioed for back up, and he knew other officers would be there soon. "We can't just go straight in, he will panic if we do."

Emily nodded her agreement as she sorted the last strap on her Kevlar vest, she'd already worked out half a plan on the drive over to Alison's. "If her house is similar to the one my parents had here, there will be a vent into the basement at the side of the house, I should be able to prize the grate off it. When back up comes secure the area."

She walked quietly along the sidewalk, cloaked in darkness. She held the gun at her side, but she disengaged the safety. Alison was in there. Emily could feel her. She sank to her knees in the wet dirt in front of her, she'd been right. There was access to the basement. She prized the grate off without much difficulty before she quietly laid it on the grass.

She let her heartbeat slow then looked inside the vent. It was pitch black but if it was anything like hers, the drop wasn't much. She tucked her gun safely into the belt of her pants before she lowered herself through and into the darkness. The ground crunched under her feet and she drew her gun before she quietly put her foot onto the first step leading up towards the kitchen.

She squinted into the slice of light as she pulled the door away from it's latch. Emily could make out a granite kitchen island with matching classy stools, the place smelt homely. Nothing like her own apartment. But there was no Alison and no MacKay. She pushed against the door again and it creaked as it moved away from the latch fully.

"Paul, I'm unarmed okay? I just want to talk to you." Emily waited in silence but no reply came. Absolutely no sound at all. That wasn't a good sign and she knew it.

She tucked her gun tightly under her shirt at the back and removed her Kevlar vest. There was more chance he would talk to her if she didn't pose a threat. She placed it onto the kitchen island with a dull thud. Emily could feel the relief on her chest at being free of it. She could breathe easily again.

She moved through the kitchen, heading towards the living room. There were two doorways into it, one straight in front of her down the hallway and one near the bottom corner of the living room that opened onto the front door. If she took the one straight in front of her chances were MacKay would see her straight away, if she took the one at the bottom she could end up behind him and she didn't want that. She didn't want him to panic.

Alison's house was nearly identical to the one she had grown up in, the smell of gasoline got stronger as she got closer. She passed a picture of a young Alison in the hallway, she hadn't changed much. Her blonde hair curled around her shoulders as she clung onto a boy's hand, her blue eyes looking up at him. Emily imagined it was her brother but she would ask about it later. It was a beautiful picture though. She moved on closer towards the living room.

_- x -_

MacKay stood behind Alison, his knee against the blonde's couch. He was wearing jeans and a t – shirt with a picture of a blonde woman on it. His eyes were like black holes. He had one arm firmly around Alison's waist and he held a gun underneath her jaw, she had her arms around her back. Emily knew they had been tied with something. The blind's were fluttering like he had just looked out of them to see what was going on. He had been expecting them.

Emily raked her eyes over Alison quickly to make sure there were no visible injuries, Emily could see a dried crimson stain at her hairline but other than that she looked fine. She was alive and awake and judging by her expression, she was furious. The smell of gasoline was making Emily nauseous.

"Emily, please help," Alison managed to stutter out before he pressed the gun further into her jaw causing her to close her mouth. The gun was pressed directly into her flesh, Emily could see the indent of it.

"Shut up, Ali," he said viciously. "Why the fuck did you have to get her involved in this?"

Emily reckoned she had about two minutes. Two minutes before the anger in her would boil over and she'd go rushing towards him. Something she couldn't do. If Emily lunged for him, she knew he would pull the trigger. But a few minutes was a long time in these kinds of situations and that gave her a chance to get Alison free.

She dug into her pocket discreetly before she pulled the pillbox from it and walked behind the chair, she sat the pill box on the back of it. She took one out and lined it up and then another. She could hear a gasp and knew that MacKay had stopped pressing the gun into her jaw. It had worked. Emily closed her eyes, feeling the blood rush through her veins.

"What are you doing?" MacKay asked.

Emily lined another one up before she answered. Let him wonder. "These are Vicodin, I take them everyday. I can even take them without water now." She gave a smile to him before she popped one into her mouth, she could see Alison watching her. Confusion was written across her expression. Emily could see light's outside now, behind MacKay. The back up that Toby had called could see her from outside and that was a good thing.

She heard the faint sound of the ground crunching as Toby's feet hit the basement floor. She could attempt to shoot him, she had a quick draw, but it was too risky and Toby was behind her somewhere. She knew he would try to reach the other doorway. If they did that, they would have him trapped.

"Alison," she said calmly, "are you okay?"

The blonde nodded, raising her head to look at Emily, eyes blazing. She had managed to take half a step away from him, his hand wasn't as tight around her waist. Good girl, Emily thought as she tucked the pillbox back into her pocket. Four pills lay together on the couch, they looked like a little row of teeth.

"How did you fake your alibis?" Emily asked as she looked back up towards him.

Paul grinned at her. "It was easy," he replied. "I watch rehearsals between six and seven from the light stage. The kids can't see inside it for the lights. They'd see me go into the booth and I'd leave a few minutes after the rehearsal and be back by the time it finished."

He glanced over at Alison before his eyes fell back onto Emily. "You can't have Alison, I'm not going to let you take her away from me."

"Where did Martin Banks fit into all of this Paul?"

He gave Emily a fleeting smile. "He told me you guys had spoken to him. You must have had a reason for it so I wanted to buy myself some time." Emily had to hand it to him. It had been a clever plan and he had nearly pulled it all off. Had nearly made an innocent Martin Banks look like a suicidal serial killer.

"I could kill you if I wanted to you know," MacKay said, his voice rough with temper. "I could shoot you and her before any of them got inside. I could burn this place to the ground with one flick."

Emily ran her hand through her hair and tried to look bored. Like she had something better to do with her time than stand there with him. "You're not scary, MacKay." Then she tilted her head. "Trust me, I have seen scary."

MacKay was becoming more unhinged before Emily's eyes, rocking his weight from foot to foot and squeezing his eyes shut in a hard blink, it looked like a facial tic. He wrestled with Alison, constantly changing his hold on the gun, moving it ever so slightly in Emily's direction and then back to Alison, back to his original target.

Alison kept her eyes on the gun, her whole body was trembling against Paul's. But she tried to keep it together, she knew Emily would get her out of there. Emily was one of life's good guys and if anyone could save her Emily could. It didn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks though and it definitely didn't stop the alarming pounding of her heart in her chest.

MacKay leaned his mouth close to hers and kissed her on the corner of her lips. He was sweating. "Don't worry," he said as his eyes blazed back in Emily's direction. "I'll do it quickly." Alison could only flinch under his touch and Emily grimaced internally at what she had just watched.

"Emily, do you remember me?" His voice was almost pleading.

"From school? Not really. I never had any time for drama. I guess that worked out pretty well for me." No question MacKay was losing it in front of her.

"Not from school. Really think back."

His eyes narrowed on her and Emily could tell from the expression on his face that he was serious. His whole face had hardened.

Emily thought he sounded so serious that she found herself searching for another memory of him that didn't involve high school. She'd never arrested him before, she didn't know if he'd been a witness that she'd interviewed at some stage. God knows, she had interviewed hundreds of people in her career. But never him. She came up with nothing.

Emily could hear the creak outside the door, she could see Toby's shadow on the floor. She moved to the left, dragging MacKay's eyes with her so Toby could walk past. It worked. He looked anxiously around towards the window, more lights outside now. He wasn't worried though and that meant one thing: he'd decided that he wasn't coming out alive.

She could probably get MacKay to shoot her. Needle him a little more until he became so enraged at Emily that he was willing to turn the gun away from Alison to take a shot. Toby was just outside, he'd get to him before anything else happened. Emily guessed he wasn't a good shot anyway, with his hands sweaty and shaking, he would probably miss her if she moved quickly.

"Alison wants to be with me," Emily stated plainly before she opened the pillbox and began picking them up. This charade had nearly finished. He looked at her, rage painted across his face, cheeks an angry colour of red. He shook his head furiously in her direction. "She does," Emily reaffirmed as she shut the box over with a small clink.

MacKay took a small step forward towards her, the gun still pressed tightly in his hand. He'd let go of Alison though and that was the main thing. "Do the pills help you?"

Emily smiled. "Not really, but sometimes they take away some of the guilt and the pain that I'm not sure even exists."

"Give me them," MacKay demanded, his chest was heaving and his features had transformed into sheer rage. His eyes were searing in Emily's direction. Emily pulled the pillbox out of her pocket again and stared at it for a few seconds, turning it over in her hand. It felt heavier for some reason and she could hear the pills rattling gently against each other inside.

"No."

"I'll kill her."

Emily shrugged. "No you won't."

He leveled the gun at her. Fully this time. Alison shook her head gently in Emily's direction, tears cascading down her cheeks. God if Emily was killed because of her she would never forgive herself. Emily had been through enough already without her adding to it.

"Okay, I'll give you them," Emily said as she saw Toby enter the other door way behind Alison and MacKay. She picked up the pillbox and threw it in MacKay's direction, making sure that it landed a few feet away from him. He scrambled forward to where the pillbox lay and took it in his hand. His momentary loss in concentration allowed her to pull her gun from the back of her pants.

He stood, his gun still trained on her just as Toby pulled his own. "I wouldn't do that if I was you Paul," Toby said, as he pulled back on the hammer and pressed his gun against MacKay's skull.

_- x -_

The nurse had used butterfly stitches to help keep the wound on her head shut. She imagined she was going to have one hell of a bruise on her forehead in the morning, it was already beginning to turn a deep shade of purple. She wanted home. She wanted a bath. She wanted coffee. And she wanted Emily. She hadn't seen the brunette since she got to the hospital.

They'd found Amy Ireland in the trunk of Paul MacKay's car. By some miracle she was still alive, she was down the hall in another room sleeping off the effects of whatever drugs he had given her to keep her sedated. She'd make a full recovery and Alison was glad. She planned on sending her flowers when she finally got home.

"Miss DiLaurentis?" A different nurse asked as she entered her room, a clipboard in hand.

"Yeah, that's me," Alison replied as she touched her head gingerly.

"Because it's a head wound we are going to keep you in for the night, it's protocol. I know you'll want to get home but you can't tonight."

Alison was fuming. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a hospital room for the rest of the night. With it's plain beige walls, disgusting food and it's antiseptic smell.

"But I'm fine," she protested, she was like a child who wasn't allowed any more candy.

The nurse shrugged gently. "It's not my call honey."

There was a gentle knock on the room door and Emily walked in. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she looked between the nurse and Alison.

"They are keeping me in for the night," Alison huffed as she looked away from the nurse and at the ceiling. Emily thought she looked like she was about to crack.

"I'll stay with her, it's fine," Emily said as the nurse made her way out of the door. Emily closed it behind her and took a seat next to Alison's bed. It wasn't the most comfortable of chairs but the view of Alison was decent.

"You don't have to stay here with me," Alison said reluctantly as she laid her head back onto the pillow. The bed groaned as she rolled over towards Emily. She wanted to ask about the pills, it was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't do it just then. That would have to wait for another day.

Emily stood before she removed her blazer and shrugged. "I don't have anywhere else to be, and Toby's friend is going to lift your carpet. The whole place smells of gasoline."

Alison winced. "He was striking matches and lowering them to the ground. Then he burned the flame out, he was just toying with me."

Emily leaned over and took Alison's hand in her own. She ran her thumb gently over the back of the blonde's hand, Alison's flesh felt warm under her own. "I don't think you need to worry about him again," Emily replied as she smiled warmly up at the blonde.

"I didn't even hear Toby come in the house, how did you get in?"

"We took the grate off the vent at the basement. My parents used to stay in a house almost identical. I figured that if we had one then you would have one too. When I was talking to MacKay I heard Toby's feet hit the ground so I kept talking so MacKay wouldn't hear him."

Alison nodded. "That's why you're the detective, Emily."

Emily smiled before she looked over at the clock. It was just leaving eleven at night and Rosewood was cloaked in darkness. People were fast asleep in their beds with no idea of the true horrors of the world. The horrors that usually lingered a lot closer to home than people realised.

"You're pants are dirty," Alison commented as she looked downwards.

"I had to kneel in the dirt outside your house."

"I'm glad you did," Alison mumbled.

And then she started to cry. Emily took a breath, it was time to put her arm around Alison DiLaurentis properly. She could do that, she didn't need to flinch away from the blonde, she clenched her hands to shake the tremble out of them. _You want to do it Em, so just do it. She needs you right now. She's not Jessica. Do it._

Alison felt Emily lift her up into a sitting position before an arm was placed around her back and waist. She let herself sob. Not because she wanted to, but because she couldn't help it. Her whole body shook with emotion. She gulped for air and hid her face in Emily's t – shirt. Despite everything, Emily smelled gorgeous. After a few minutes she looked up through wet eyelashes.

"This sounds stupid but thanks for saving my life, Emily."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all. But call me Em, Emily is too formal for you now," Emily replied as she rubbed circles on the blonde's back. _She could do this._

"Okay, Em. I'd say call me Ali but you already do."

_- x -_

It was just leaving two in the morning when Emily stood to stretch her legs. Alison was asleep, she was on her side, and her hand hung limply over the side of the bed. Emily had let go of it nearly twenty minutes ago when she had woken up on the chair and she missed the blonde's warm palm in her own.

She was thirsty and achy but she didn't want to be anywhere else, she was more than content to watch over Alison for the night. She realised that for the first time in a long time she hadn't thought of Jessica once. It was oddly satisfying. She cracked her neck before she quietly moved the chair, she needed water. Her throat had begun to get dry and scratchy.

"Where are you going Em?" Alison mumbled, still half asleep.

"I just need to get water, I will be five minutes."

"Will you come back though?"

"Yes, I will be back Ali, don't worry."

The hospital was eerily quiet and she moved through it freely. Her body was beginning to tire, and she could feel the ache in her body return. It was an all too familiar feeling. But she pushed it to the back of her mind as she reached the vending machine.

By the time she got back to Alison's room, the blonde had fallen back asleep. She was still facing the chair that Emily was sitting in. She sat back down before she unscrewed the top of her bottle and took a large drink. The cool liquid was a welcome relief in her system.

"Can I have some?" Alison asked quietly, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah, of course. I can go and get you one if you want?" Emily offered but Alison shook her head gently.

Emily handed her the bottle and watched as she gulped it down. Apparently she wasn't the only one who needed a drink. "I definitely should have got you one," Emily joked when she got the half empty bottle back.

Alison settled back down before she reached her hand out, she wasn't even sure if Emily would take it. She didn't know if the brunette had just been feeling sorry for her earlier, but she smiled to herself when she felt Emily take her hand again. It was soothing, in the same way that a child may have a favourite teddy or toy.

"I still can't believe it happened," she muttered incoherently, she could already feel herself surrendering to the natural darkness of sleep.

"Shh, Ali," Emily replied as she began to draw circles on the blonde's hand again. Alison's fingers were cooler against her own this time and she gave them a gentle squeeze in a futile attempt to warm them up.

She watched as Ali's breathing became heavy, her chest rose and fell every time she drew breath and it was a comfort for Emily to watch because Alison was okay and she had made sure of that. There was something about the blonde that she couldn't put her finger on, something different, special even.

She leaned over and hovered slightly, unsure if what she was about to do was the right thing. She leaned lower and pressed her lips to Alison's forehead gently, the blonde's skin was warm under her lips and butterflies fluttered in her stomach before they took flight.

As she sat back in the chair she felt Alison squeeze her hand again.


	9. Moving On

_Hey guys another chapter for you, I know it's totally unrelated but I got ethical approval today for my dissertation so YAY me haha. Love all the questions you had about last chapter about Jessica/Paul etc hopefully this will clear it up. And Emison is soon I promise, we are so close! Just hang in there a tiny bit longer. If you wish please leave me a review I absolutely love reading all of them even if it's just a few words!_

* * *

><p><em>Today when she comes with the pills, Emily manages to mumble a sentence when Jessica pulls the tape from her mouth.<em>

_"I'll swallow them, don't force them down again."_

_She opens her mouth easily and Jessica places the pills on Emily's tongue before she holds a glass of water to Emily's lips so she can wash them down. It feels like the first proper drink she has had since she has gotten here. She thinks that potentially it may be her last. Jessica opens her mouth and inspects to make sure that she has swallowed them._

_"How long have I been here, Jessica?" Emily asks._

_"That doesn't matter anymore," she says and Emily knows it must be over four days but she's not entirely sure how many days it has been. It could nearly be a week. She remembers the other man and for a split second she's a good detective again._

_"Who is he? The man who lifted me? Where is he? I haven't seen him here for days. Have you killed him too?"_

_Jessica raises her eyebrows like Emily is talking absolute nonsense. "Sweetheart, you sound crazy. It was and always has been just us."_

_There's a silence between them and Emily focuses on the room. Her throat and abdomen hurt, and swallowing has come a chore. The pain is intensely violent. She closes her eyes and thinks because there's nothing else left for her._

_She's dying and she's almost content with it because it can't be any worse than this and she knows Jessica won't leave her to die alone._

* * *

><p>A smile graced Emily's lips as she made her way into the office. She'd worked it out. Despite it being before six in the morning, the task force offices were abuzz with activity. It was always the same after a hard worked case was solved. She wondered if they had been like this when she had finally been found. She doubted it for some reason. She smiled as she thought of Alison. Alison whose parents had flown home early to get to her, Emily had left them to it. It was only fair.<p>

Spencer shrugged her jacket over her shoulders. She wasn't needed at that moment, but she always liked to witness the end of a case when things were getting wrapped up. It gave her a sense of closure in the big picture. She patted Toby on the shoulder before she headed towards Emily's office, she had seen her best friend walk past ten minutes ago.

"Good job yesterday, Spence," Emily said as she stood at her doorway just about to close the door over.

"Do you want a lift home?" Spencer offered. "You've had a long night and me and Toby are going home in a second anyway so we can drop you off if you want?"

Emily shrugged before shaking her head gently. "I actually have a stop to make Spence."

"At this time of the morning?" Spencer asked.

She had a feeling she knew where Emily was going and she didn't know why. She had gone to see Jessica Jackson herself, in those first few days when Emily was lying in hospital barely holding on to life.

Spencer's bad profile on Jessica Jackson had stung and she thought she might learn something from the beautiful psychopath. But Jessica had refused to talk to her. She'd sat silently in the interview room while Spencer had peppered her with all sorts of questions. And then Spencer had got up to leave and Jessica had finally spoken.

Only one question. "Is Emily still alive?"

"Emily if you need to talk, you know I'm here for you right?"

Emily played with something in her blazer pocket. "I probably do need to talk to someone, Spence."

"But let me guess, not with me?" There was a wry smile on Spencer's face as she said it. She knew her best friend, but she also knew that this was progress. Emily had never admitted that she needed to talk to someone. She made a mental note to tell Hanna.

Emily looked up and smiled at her, she looked exhausted and Spencer wondered if she looked similar, none of them had slept in nearly forty-eight hours.

Spencer took a small step towards her. "Anything that happened while you were with Jessica, anything you felt you can't judge it, Em. It was an extreme situation that could probably never be replicated."

Emily looked past her, there were officers removing the map and photos of the women, Toby looked up at them as if waiting for Spencer to hurry up.

"I lost everything in that basement. Or it felt like I lost everything. I was going to die Spence, and I was okay with that in the end because she was there. She was taking care of me."

"She's a psychopath."

Emily walked down the corridor, towards the exit doors, Spencer closely followed at her heels. "Yeah," she muttered. "But she was my psychopath."

"Was?" Spencer questioned.

"Was." Emily confirmed as she headed out the doors and towards her car that sat in the parking lot.

* * *

><p><em>Emily wakes up and she's still in the basement. She is still on the bed but everything around her is different. The bed has been moved and the floor has been wiped clean, the smell of disinfectant is nearly overpowering. Her bandage is fresh and she's lying in clean bed sheets.<em>

_"You've been asleep for a whole day," Jessica says. She's wearing new clothes; her hair has been washed and tied back away from her face. Emily blinks at her slowly and she wonders, briefly, if she has actually died._

_She's sat beside Emily now and she presses her fingers against Emily's wrist to take her pulse. There is something about Jessica's touch that soothes Emily, and she memorises the feel of Jessica's fingers against her skin because it will probably be the last person she ever feels against her._

_"Untie me please," Emily says and she has to take several breaths so her voice doesn't come out as a rasp. It feels like she's deflating, all of the oxygen leaving her body, slowly but surely._

_Jessica doesn't even hesitate, she reaches down and unfastens Emily from the bindings that hold her down. She's too weak to do anything, but Jessica lifts her hand to her face, pressing Emily's palm against her cheek. Emily feels the warm tears wet against her palm._

_"It's okay," Emily soothes her before she smiles weakly._

_And she believes it because she is so tired and it is nearly all over._

* * *

><p>Emily had called the maximum security facility from the parking lot, so by the time she had got there and made her way through the annoying security checkpoints, Jessica had been roused from her sleep and was waiting for her in the interview room. She was sitting at the table when Emily made her way through the metal door, her hair was loose and she had no make up on, and yet she still looked like a super model.<p>

"It's six thirty in the morning," Jessica said, her expression hard and unwavering in Emily's direction.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jessica," she replied, as she pulled the chair out from underneath the table. "Am I keeping you from something more interesting?"

Jessica glanced over her shoulder at the two-way mirror. "Is Toby here too?"

"Nope. I'm alone, there's not a person behind the mirror either. I told the guard to wait on the other side of the door. It's just me and you, for old times sake."

Jessica yawned before she gave Emily a sleepy smile. "You caught him then?"

Emily could feel herself finally relaxing. It was finally sinking in that they had caught Paul MacKay. She let her muscles loosen as she sat back on the uncomfortable chair. She'd been used to using so much energy at keeping up appearances that it was nice to finally just be herself. She'd only been able to do that with one other person in a year: Alison.

"Yep, we arrested him about nine hours ago. He will be joining you in one of these facilities just shortly. But he didn't die so you wouldn't have enjoyed the spectacle of it."

"Well aren't you the serial killer hero cop, did you come to gloat?" Emily cocked her head at the brunette's bitter reply.

"It's not Sunday, Emily. So why are you really here?" Jessica asked, her manacles rattled as she brought her hands up onto the table.

"It's funny you know. How MacKay had a thing with Alison nearly ten years ago and yet he only decided to act on it now." Emily ran her hands down her thighs before she placed her hands on the table near Jessica's. "How did you meet him?"

Jessica flashed her a smile. "Meet him?"

"MacKay." Emily repeated.

Jessica reached her hand out onto Emily's. It was the first time Jessica had initiated proper contact with her in months and Emily thought she saw a flicker of surprise in Jessica's eyes at what she had done. When she'd held Emily's hand last Sunday it had been in desperation; this wasn't desperation. But Jessica was hard to read, she always had been.

"I remember him. He was the man in the basement, maybe you were training him or something. He was there that day, he was the second guy who lifted me into your car. But then you went to prison and he was left alone to break down. And it eventually set him off. So, I'll ask again, how did you meet him?"

She looked directly at Emily and Emily quickly realised that Jessica had never told her anything, had never let Emily see anything that she didn't want her to see. In their game Jessica had always been one step a head of her. She had always been in control of them.

"I picked him out, just the same as the rest of them," Jessica replied easily. "His online profile was perfect. He was divorced, he didn't really have many hobbies, and he was reasonably attractive." She gave Emily a roll of her eyes. "Guys like him are easy to manipulate because they are so predictable. Once I'd gotten him to indulge in his Alison school girl fantasy he was mine."

Emily held tighter onto her hand, fully aware that her grip was probably hurting Jessica. She didn't care. She could barely look at the woman sat across from her. It was all becoming brutally clear to her.

"Before you took me, she worked small bylines in the newspaper. You recognised her name didn't you? You knew who she was before I did, because MacKay had already told you that she was _his_ Alison. And then you wanted to see her for yourself when she began doing the profile with me. You set us all up."

Jessica remained defiant, giving Emily nothing in her expression.

Emily shook her head and laughed softly. "And then you sat back and watched him wreak havoc. Your own little protégé."

It sounded crazy, even to Emily, but she was right. She knew she was, she could feel it in her gut and she knew Toby would believe her, she just had no way to prove MacKay was the second man with Jessica when she was taken. It sounded like a paranoid tale.

"Do you really like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest?" Emily asked.

"No, but I know you do sweetheart."

Jessica pulled her hands back from the table before she sat back on her chair. "Let me see it."

Emily knew what she meant and she hesitated briefly before she reached up and slowly unbuttoned her shirt, her plain white bra was visible underneath it, contrasting against her skin. She stood before she pulled her shirt open so Jessica could see her handiwork. Jessica leaned forward over the table, her knees on the chair, elbows perched on the table so she could see.

Emily didn't move, didn't flinch as Jessica reached forward and ran her fingertips over the heart that she had carved. For the first time, Emily's pulse didn't quicken at Jessica's touch, she wondered if Jessica noticed it. Emily could smell her, not like vanilla anymore, but some industrial minty shampoo. It smelled like her toothpaste.

"Your incision is longer," Jessica commented as she ran her fingers over the scar on Emily's lower stomach.

Emily cleared her throat. "You left a little bleeding when you removed my appendix. They had to go in and open me up again."

Jessica nodded slowly before she moved her fingers over Emily's flat stomach. Her thumb skimmed the edge of Emily's bra before she moved them lower again. Emily closed her eyes, it was the first time in a year that she had been touched like that. It didn't feel good. Jessica's fingers skated lower to the edge of her pants and Emily opened her eyes before she gripped Jessica's hand by the wrist.

"No one has to know. Like you said earlier, for old times sakes," Jessica said playfully.

Emily laughed at that before she pushed Jessica's hands away, her own going back to the buttons on her shirt. She did them up slowly, feeling Jessica's eyes boring into her.

"What's so funny?" Jessica asked.

Emily looked at her. She really was beautiful. There was something monstrously delicate about her. The perfect skin and the perfect features. The perfect hair and the perfect smile. Sometimes Emily used to attempt to fool herself into thinking that Jessica was almost human somewhere. It was all a game. It had always been a game; all of it.

She fumbled with the last button before she reached for her blazer, the pillbox rattled inside it when she lifted it up. She saw Jessica's eyebrows quirk in curiosity. "You planned it all a long didn't you? To call nine one – one. To save me."

Emily ran her hand through her hair before she slammed her hands onto the table and Jessica jumped back at the harsh noise. "You made a mistake though, you got yourself arrested and you can't fuck with me if I'm not here."

It felt hot in the small room, she could feel her scar throbbing underneath her shirt where Jessica's fingers had just been. She could feel her own heart beat thud quickly underneath the scar. She looked at Jessica who looked unimpressed with Emily's outburst before she smiled.

"You'll miss me too much Emily, you will be back."

Emily straightened up before she looked down at Jessica who was staring up at her. She leaned down and pressed her index finger against Jessica's mouth when she attempted to say something. "You don't get to talk yet, Jessica."

She walked over towards the buzzer and hit it hard with the palm of her hand. The door opened and she walked through slowly.

"Emily, wait," Jessica called, her voice wavering. Emily's heart was battering against her rib cage, the smell of Jessica was still around her. It took everything she had not to look back.

_- x -_

Alison rolled over in bed. She felt sick. Maybe it was the nerves, maybe it was the sticky heat inside her room, maybe it was because it was three in the afternoon and Emily still hadn't called her.

_Emily should have called by now_, Alison thought to herself as her brows furrowed in the middle of her forehead. The action caused a small hiss to leave her mouth as it pulled on the butterfly stitches that were still holding strong at her hairline.

Emily had kissed her last night. Not technically and not on the mouth but she had. The press of the brunette's lips burned into the skin on her forehead, she had felt Emily hesitate about it, the brunette's breath catching in her throat before she had leaned down and sealed the deal. Jessica had fucked Emily up and Alison knew that but she wanted to be let in and she had thought that Emily would call.

"I bought you chamomile tea," her Mom said as she entered her bedroom, the tray she was carrying contained a small mug of chamomile tea and a few of Alison's favourite biscuits. "I still can't believe what happened to you," her Mom commented as she sat the tray down on Alison's bed side table.

_You and me both, _Alison thought.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Her Mom asked.

She nodded as she brought the tea to her lips. "I'm fine," she said before she glanced over at her phone again. Still nothing. "Honestly."

"She will call you," her Mom said as she stood with one hand on her hip, Alison nearly choked on her tea. Her Mom looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Alison. I might be old but I'm not stupid. When we came into your room this morning she was holding your hand. It was like she had sat on that chair all night guarding you. She will call, trust me."

Alison rolled her eyes before she placed the tea back onto the tray. She was just about to speak when the doorbell rang. "If that's more reporters I swear I am going to explode." Her Mom turned on her heels before she headed downstairs and opened the door. It definitely wasn't the press.

"Alison," her Mom called. The blonde pulled her duvet over her head. "Alison, I really think you will want to see this."

She huffed before she threw her duvet back over the bed. The carpet felt spongy underneath her bare toes and she shivered despite the heat in her room. She padded downstairs and into the kitchen where she could hear her Mom. She opened the door to a bouquet of yellow lilies that sat on the kitchen island.

There was a card attached to the side of them. It only had two words printed on it. _'From Em._' Alison beamed at the card as she turned around in her Mom's direction. She waved off the _'I told you so'_ look before she leaned down into the cupboard to find a vase for her new flowers.

"They are beautiful, Alison."

Alison nodded. "Yeah, they really are."

_- x -_

The trees in front of Jessica's old house hadn't bloomed yet. The sun shone through the car window and Emily leaned her head against the glass, enjoying the heat of it against her. She glanced at her watch. Alison would have the flowers by now, the thought of it made her smile to herself. She hoped the blonde would like them.

A brick path led to a small brick stairway and that ended in a wooden front door. It was a nice house, not one she would pick for herself, but she could appreciate it all the same. Of course, it had never really been Jessica's. She'd actually been telling the truth when she said she'd rented it off a family who had gone to Spain for the summer. She gazed at the house, as if it would help her make sense of everything that had happened.

A silver Jaguar pulled up into the driveway and a woman got out before she grabbed a bag of groceries from the back seat. She looked at Emily's car before she turned her back and faced the direction of her house. She took a step forward before she backpedaled and walked towards Emily's car, clearly intent on making conversation. Emily was tempted to drive away but she didn't, instead she pressed the button to lower the windows.

"You're Emily Fields right?" The woman had recognised her. _Emily Fields, at your service. _She gave the woman a small smile. The woman thrust her hand in Emily's direction. "I'm Adele Murray, do you mind giving me a hand with the rest of my groceries?"

Emily followed her into the kitchen, her arms full of groceries. Emily couldn't remember the last time she had done that, it reminded her of normality. She couldn't really remember normality either. But there was the house and it looked exactly the same as it had done. Emily felt like she had walked into a dream. She felt Jessica everywhere around her.

"It looks the same, I know," Adele said as she placed a few things into a large refrigerator. "The police said it happened in my office." She looked at Emily sincerely. "Feel free to look around if you want."

"I'd like that," Emily replied, and Adele nodded with her head that she could go alone. She was grateful for that. She left Adele in the kitchen and walked freely to the room where Jessica had drugged her.

The desk sat against the wall rather in front of the window where Jessica had placed it. The book cases were stacked with books, the carpet was different though, and the grandfather clock still sat in the corner as it ticked over. She sat in the chair that she had sat in that day with Jessica. She could remember everything. This was part of her closure. Seeing this and remembering it. It left an unsavoury taste in her mouth.

"I've seen you on the news recently. Congratulations on closing the case." It was Adele, standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," Emily said as she stood. "It's just this place and your house, it brings back a lot of memories. Not all of them particularly good. I want to move past it. I think maybe if I face things like this it will help."

"I've always loved this room personally," Adele said, as she looked out the window and into the garden. "You can usually see the apple trees from here."

"Yeah," Emily said. "Jessica liked that too."

_- x -_

Alison was curled up on the couch when she heard her phone ring in her bedroom, she jumped before she quickly headed upstairs, ignoring her Mom and Dad's warning about taking things easy. She grabbed the phone when she saw it was Emily.

"Hey, Em," she said as she greeted the brunette with a smile that she couldn't see.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked.

"Apart from the stitches? I am okay," Alison answered honestly, there was a brief pause on the line between them.

"If," Emily cleared her throat. "If you want to, you could come over tonight. I understand if you want to stay with your parents, but from personal experience I know parents can be a little overbearing when something like that happens."

Alison smiled. "No, I would like that, but tonight I get to choose the film for us."

"Deal. You can stay over if you want, I have a spare bedroom anyway, I don't think you snooped in there the last time,"

"Wait, are you asking me to spend the night?" Alison joked as she heard Emily take a breath.

"You could say that, yes," Emily laughed gently. The sound of it made Alison smile again. She felt like a teenager with a high school crush. She shook her head of how ridiculous it was.

"Thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful. Why yellow lilies though?"

Emily shrugged to herself. "I remember you telling me your favourite colour was yellow and most people like lilies so I put two and two together."

Alison nodded. "Well they were a very good choice. My Mom was impressed with them too."

"Good, it's always good to make a good impression. Come over at seven."

"I will, I will get my Dad to drop me off."

_- x -_

Emily stood at her apartment doorway in her Superman t-shirt, she knew it would make Alison laugh when she opened the door to her. Sure enough when she had opened the door the blonde had laughed gently at her and then with her when she had shown Alison the matching blue socks. She wiggled her toes to give the full effect.

It was just after eleven when Emily looked at the sleeping body next to her. Alison's head was resting on her palm, her eyes were shut. She'd been asleep for about twenty minutes. She looked peaceful, apart from the butterfly stitches that poked out from her hairline. Emily nudged her gently before blue eyes fluttered opened and landed sleepily on her.

"Come on Ali, you fell asleep," she said as she stood and straightened her t-shirt out. She extended her hand towards the blonde who gripped it and pulled herself up so she was standing next to Emily. The height difference wasn't much but it was enough for Alison, she liked looking up at Emily.

She guided Alison down the poorly lit hallway and into the bedroom that was next to hers. A part of her had been tempted to take the blonde into her own room but she had refrained. It wasn't the right time for that. She flicked the light on, illuminating the room in yellow light. She pulled back the duvet and allowed Alison to climb in and get comfy before she pulled the duvet back up around the blonde's chin.

"Are you okay?" she asked, she watched as Alison nodded her head.

"Did you hold my hand all night?" Alison asked as she peeked one eye open to look up at Emily. She looked exhausted, she wanted Emily to crawl in beside her and get some much needed sleep. She didn't know if Emily had slept at all last night because of her.

"Most of it, yeah," Emily replied as she hovered slightly, rocking from heel to heel.

"You should get some sleep," Alison said as she closed her eyes.

"I will," Emily replied as she leaned down to press a kiss onto Ali's forehead before she turned back towards the door.

"Do you like doing that to me?" Alison asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Yes." She flicked the light off.

_- x -_

Emily walked quietly down the dark hall. She couldn't sleep. The blonde was asleep in her spare bedroom, it was better than the couch. She imagined that Alison would be dreaming right now. She was jealous, she wanted to be dreaming. But she liked knowing someone else was in the apartment with her, it brought some comfort. She liked knowing Alison was in the apartment with her.

She switched on the TV before she turned in the volume down. It had just left two in the morning and outside was a blanket of darkness. She could hear the rain patter on the window. Another rainy day in Pennsylvania beckoned, she could feel it.

"What are you doing, Emily?" Alison asked sleepily, she was standing at the door frame rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep, Ali," Emily replied with a smile and for a moment she lost herself in Alison's body. The way her t-shirt curved over her breasts and hips, the way the shorts fell down Alison's thigh, exposing just enough skin that Emily was interested. She took a deep breath before she leaned back against the couch.

Alison took the remote from the arm of the couch before she switched it over. There were reruns of Grey's Anatomy on and she sank down into the soft couch, the black leather soft against the back of her bare legs.

"You can go back to bed, you don't have to stay up with me," Emily murmured.

Alison gave her a strange, tender smile like she had just said the stupidest thing in the world. She threw her legs up onto the sofa before she laid her head on Emily's chest. The brunette tensed up underneath her.

"It's okay, Emily. I watch the way you handle things, you're always careful but I'm not going to break by being near you…I trust you," Alison whispered. She sounded crazy she'd known Emily less than a month.

Emily smiled before she hesitantly put her arm around the blonde, pulling her slightly closer. Alison felt warm against her chest. She could actually stand to be touched by the blonde, the scar on her chest didn't hurt either but her heart throbbed in anticipation.

She watched as Alison's hand reached out for her own, clasping their fingers together. Emily leaned down and pressed her lips against Ali's cheek. Alison smiled to herself, Emily was getting closer and that was a good thing.

"Are you ever going to kiss me on the lips?"

Emily shifted slightly underneath her. "Yes," then she hesitated, "but I want to do it properly and I need time for that. It's been a long time for me and I'm not used to it,"

"I understand, Em."

"Do you though?"

"Yes. And I'll wait."

For the first time in a long time, Emily felt at home in her body. Holding Alison like that, she couldn't see her scars.


	10. Closer

_Sorry on late update I've been away this weekend! Some of you want Emison like now (and I understand that seriously), other people want a few more chapters of tension so it's pretty hard to balance everything because I do try and take everything you guys say on board. Decided to kind of meet in the middle, plus nothing is going to be plain sailing for them lets be honest. Also, how far do you want me to show Emily and Jessica's relationship ie how far they went? I'm wary of you not enjoying it because Emily would be with her and not Alison (it'll all be flashbacks obviously). If you wish leave me a review it's very appreciated!_

* * *

><p><em>Jessica has her on a drip now because she can't keep down whatever pills it is that Jessica is giving her anymore. They always come back up and it usually leads to major nosebleeds. She can't remember the last time Jessica left her side, she just sits next to her holding a wet cloth to Emily's face in an attempt to cool her down or to catch the extra saliva when she coughs.<em>

_Emily can hear her voice and smell her, she smells like vanilla, but that's it. There's little to no sensation anywhere else anymore. There's no taste and her vision has narrowed to shadowy blurs. Emily is aware when Jessica touches her, her fingers softly brushing Emily's hand and forearm._

_Jessica holds her head against Emily's cheek while Emily jerks violently against her, screaming as all the pain and fear drives out her body. The effort is exhausting and soon the screams turn into tears and fruitless retching. When her breathing returns to normal, Jessica looks up, and slowly begins to wipe the tears from Emily's face._

_"I think it's time now Emily," she says as she holds something up and Emily can see the faint outline of a hypodermic and relief washes over her because it's finally over. Jessica leans over and caresses Emily's cheek with her palm. "Don't worry sweetheart, I won't leave your side."_

_Emily believes her._

_Emily watches as best she can through blurry vision as Jessica injects something into her drip tube. Emily doesn't think about Paige or Hanna or Spencer or Toby or her own parents. She just can't. So she just concentrates on Jessica because that's all there is now. Jessica's her only thread to this world. A thread that's hanging on by the skin of it's teeth._

* * *

><p>Emily stood at her apartment window, hands in her jeans pockets, watching as a fine mist of rain fell outside. It was nearly eleven and she wasn't tired. She hadn't even gotten out of her work clothes from earlier in the day, the same work she'd have to be awake for in less than seven hours. Her phone buzzed harshly on the old coffee table. She ignored it – again.<p>

Alison was like a dog with a bone. She'd stayed over three nights ago and Emily had tried to keep her distance since then. She couldn't get involved with Alison, it was wrong on every level. Not for her but for Alison. She wouldn't be good for Alison and she didn't want to drag the blonde down the path of destruction she had followed in the past twelve months.

Emily was still standing at the window, studying the night, wondering when Alison would give up for the night, when the doorbell rang. She still didn't feel tired. She looked, she thought, worse than normal. She half expected to find a reporter at her door, the other half wondered if Alison would be brazen enough to come over. But in her heart she knew it would be neither of them. It would be Hanna. After the text she'd send the blonde earlier in the evening, she knew it would be her.

"You're an idiot," Hanna said when she opened the apartment door. She was dressed for bed. A grey hoodie pulled over her grey sweatpants, an old pair of Converse covered her feet. Emily only ever saw her in that attire when she was staying over, which wasn't often anymore, but it looked like she had a visitor for the evening. She didn't mind.

"Please do come in, Han," Emily replied.

Hanna moved towards her, pausing a few feet inside to look around. Even Hanna hadn't spent much time at Emily's apartment and Emily could see her eyes wander around at the sparsely decorated area. Hanna tried to act as if the sad little apartment didn't bother her but Emily knew it did. Hanna had the same look on her face every time she came over.

"Are you okay?" Hanna asked as she placed her purse onto the back of the leather couch.

Emily didn't really know how to answer the question, so she avoided it. "Do you want coffee or something?"

Hanna let her hands drop dramatically to her side. "Em." She peeled her hoodie off and sat it on the back of the couch next to her purse. Then she walked around to the front of the sofa and sat down. "Come and sit down with me."

Emily sank down into the couch beside her and put her head in her hands. She hadn't told anyone because she was afraid to say it out loud. Because if she said it out loud it would mean that it was real and she was unsure what to make of that. "I'm going to stop seeing her."

"Alison?" Hanna questioned, she was the only person Emily had told about Alison staying over with her.

"No, well maybe. I don't know but I originally meant Jessica."

Hanna's hand found her back and when she peeked around at the blonde she had her eyes closed. When she opened them they were glassy with unshed tears. Like Emily had just told her the best news in the world.

"Thank God, Em," she replied before she kicked off her Converse and curled her legs up onto Emily's couch.

"I know you don't understand but it's getting nearer to Sunday and I don't know what to do. Alison keeps texting me and calling me and I keep ignoring it. I know it's wrong but it's easier that way. For her."

Rain pounded against the apartment window. It was torrential now, not the fine mist that had been there when Hanna arrived. Her pillbox rested on the coffee table, the ironic thing was that it had been a gift from Hanna when she had been released from the hospital. She'd been taking so many that Hanna thought it would be safer to keep them altogether so she wouldn't get confused.

"I think you're hurting Alison. Maybe not intentionally but that's how it will feel to her. And it's not fair." Emily nodded in agreement, Hanna was right. Alison didn't deserve it and that's why she couldn't be with the blonde. "I couldn't believe it when you text me about woman trouble. It has been a long time," Hanna added.

Emily leaned forward and picked up the pillbox. She turned it over in her hand and flicked it open with her thumb and forefinger. It was empty for a change. It was a pretty little box, Emily liked it a lot and not just for it's usual contents. The kid from upstairs was awake, Emily could hear her run from the bedroom into the living room. She flinched lightly when Hanna pulled her closer.

Hanna sighed and pulled away slightly before she looked in Emily's direction. "What is it that makes it so hard to be close to us now? I think Alison likes you and I think you like her too, why don't you want that chance? A new chance at that."

Emily felt all the pain and guilt she kept so carefully subdued begin to hurt her chest. How could she even attempt to explain to Hanna? No one knew about her prior relationship with Jessica, absolutely no one. She'd been surprised when Jessica hadn't screamed it from the top of her lungs.

"It's complicated, Han."

It was something Jessica had taught her. Her instincts, while nearly spot on at crime scenes, could fail her when it came to human beings. It was why Emily had so few close people in her life anymore. She was never sure if someone was going to give her something and start carving into her again. Not that any part of her thought Alison would, but still, the thought nagged at her. If it happened once it could happen again.

"Sure it is complicated. But giving Jessica up has got to be the first step. Whether you want to admit it or not you need people to support you along the way. We are all here for you and I think if you gave her the chance, Alison would be too."

Emily nodded gently. "You say that but sometimes Toby looks at me as I am going to crack. He looks at me as if I'm going to do something stupid to myself and I know he wants to be there for me but it's like he doesn't know how to be."

Hanna touched the back of her neck. "Are you going to do something stupid?"

Emily considered it for a few seconds before she shook her head. "No."

The kid from the upstairs apartment began to run again. The footsteps echoed around Emily's apartment, she hardly even noticed it anymore. It was like part of the furnishings. Hanna glanced up at the ceiling as if it was about to fall in on them.

"What the hell is that noise? It's like the elephant parade up there."

Emily was tired, her eyes burned and her head felt like a dead weight. She leaned her head back and her eyes fluttered closed automatically. "The kid upstairs, I don't even notice it anymore."

She felt Hanna's arm hook around her own before the blonde's head settled on her shoulder. "We need to decorate this place seriously." Emily nodded her agreement without opening her eyes. "You can move on from this Em, I promise you that."

Emily was glad that her eyes were shut. They kept in the tears that she was sure would flow if she opened them. She wasn't sure she could move on, she wasn't sure at all. She wasn't sure if she could give up Jessica every Sunday but she'd try. And if she could eventually do it, she'd win and Jessica would lose. And maybe she could lead a half normal life. Maybe even with Alison. There was hope.

The thought kept a small smile on her face as she let her sore, tired body surrender to sleep. She felt her hand relax around the small pillbox. The last thing she was aware of was Hanna lifting it out her hand and putting it back on the table before she settled her head back against Emily's shoulder.

_- x -_

Rosewood's main park was pretty in autumn. The sky was barely visible behind the canopy of trees. The trees were covered by strokes of red and yellow, shining like copper and gold against the azure blue sky. A light breeze amused the leaves and the lake lapped gently against the edge of it's bank. Birds hummed contently and Alison sighed. It was all very lovely in autumn.

"You okay?" Donna Gomez asked.

Donna had been the crime beat reporter for the _Herald _for as long as anyone could remember. Alison still maintained the belief that Donna was an alcoholic. She didn't know if she'd started out an alcoholic or whether the job had something to do with it. There was a faint hint of alcohol between them as she stood.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alison replied as she surveyed the park, it's mid morning crowd beginning to build slowly. Donna shot her a knowing glance. "Okay, maybe not fine. But I don't know what to do with Emily," Alison stated as she brought the press pass out of her purse.

She had to return it to the task force office this afternoon and she didn't know what to do since Emily had ignored her for days. She didn't want to admit it, but it stung slightly.

Donna sat her large frame down on the bench next to Alison, their bodies pressed side by side. "Well, talking is always a good place to start. I don't know what has gone on between you but it's not like you to be like this."

Alison had to agree. It was a very rare occurrence that she ever be lost for words. "I know." She relented. It's not as if she hadn't thought about it or called. She'd called and text Emily and had no reply from her.

_Maybe her phone wasn't working properly,_ Alison thought to herself. No that self-explanation was too desperate. Emily just didn't want to talk to her and that was that.

"And if you tell her about how you feel, or your feelings," Donna hinted, hoping that Alison would see her train of thought and finish the sentence for her.

Alison hung her head in her hands. Was she really that obvious about Emily? Neither wonder she had scared the brunette away. First her Mom and now Donna. "Am I really that obvious?"

"No. But it's been a while since I've seen you like this so I just assumed."

Alison didn't know what to reply so she sat and watched as the world passed her by in the park. People without any cares in the world. Families. Children. Joggers. Singles. She thought Emily would like this park.

"She doesn't know what she's missing if she doesn't call you back." Donna's voice brought her out of her mini daydream. Alison shrugged pathetically in the other woman's direction. "Honestly, talk to her. You know me, I love to help all the miserable singles and I'm telling you to talk to her."

She was kidding about the helping part, of course. Helpful was not a word that came to mind when you thought of Donna Gomez. Combative? Yes. Arrogant? Yes. Great fucking writer? Absolutely. Almost everyone thought she was a shark. But for some reason, from that first day at the paper, Donna had looked out for her. Alison didn't know why. It didn't matter, Alison would always have Donna's back and barring a great drink or a great lead she knew Donna would have hers.

Alison looked around the park again before she glanced backwards. She couldn't see the task force offices from here but she knew it was only a ten minute walk. She had plenty time to go there, with her profile on Emily finished she didn't have a whole lot to do right now.

"Trust me kid, you march over there and you have it out with her. Women love that dominant thing." Alison raised her eyebrow in Donna's direction. "What? The seventies was a liberating time for everyone. I dipped my toes in both men and women. Probably should have stuck to women."

"Right," Alison agreed as she let the analogy go straight over her head. "I can go and talk to her."

"Trust me kid," Donna said. She picked a granola bar out of her purse before she opened it, a few of the oats pinged out from the packaging. "You can do this." She looked up at Alison and winked.

Alison thought her face flushed with pride. She nodded gently before she turned on her heels and waked in the direction of the task force offices. Her dress blew gently against the breeze.

She wasn't going to let Emily go that easily.

_- x -_

Emily entered the bathroom stall of the small coffee shop that sat nearby the task force offices. Her eyes caught two love hearts on the top right hand side of the door. There was no rapid pulse and her breathing was normal. Jessica wasn't out there anymore. She wasn't killing anymore and Emily wasn't afraid. Just last week she had been continuing her weekly ritual of seeing Jessica every Sunday. She'd put a stop to that now. This week. It would be her first Sunday in nearly forty eight weeks that she wouldn't see her. She laughed softly to herself.

Five minutes away, Alison pushed against the doors of the task force offices. There weren't as many people around but she recognised Spencer. She'd thanked the brunette a couple days previous for practically saving her life. She'd caught the connection to Paul MacKay. She watched as the brunette waved over at her from her desk. She stood elegantly and walked over towards Alison.

"Hi Alison," Spencer greeted her happily.

"Hey Spencer," Alison replied. "I wanted to give this pass back to Emily," she pulled the press pass from her purse before she let it hang in the air between them.

"Em is getting coffee, she should be back soon though if you want to wait around? You can sit with me at my tiny desk."

Alison didn't want an audience when she spoke to Emily but trust her to come over at the time when Emily was out getting coffee. She internally cursed her own bad luck.

"No, it's okay," Alison said as she sat the press pass in Spencer's hand. "Just tell Emily I handed this in and tell her to call me if she has time," she added before she turned and headed back towards the exit doors.

"I'm glad you're okay Alison," Spencer called.

Alison turned in the brunette's direction. "Me too," she answered, but as she turned back around she walked into whoever was coming into the task office building. She turned her head to aplogise to whoever she had just bumped into, her mouth went slack when she realised that it was Emily. The brunette looked down at her with startled eyes.

"Ali, I was going to – "

"But you didn't," Alison finished the sentence for her before she pushed her way past Emily and out into the open. Her earlier strong will had deserted her and she wanted a quick exit. She was surprised to feel Emily's fingers wrap around the top of her arm keeping her in place.

"I know and I'm sorry about that," Emily fidgeted with something in her pocket as she let Alison's arm go, she still hadn't made eye contact with the blonde. "I really was going to call you back today," she added truthfully.

Alison clocked that the thing in her pocket was probably the little box that had the pills in it. She was surprised when Emily produced a half empty bag of butter popcorn, she could smell it in the air between them now. The thought of it made her mouth water, even at this time of the morning.

A silence settled around them as they both looked between each other. Both of them wondering who was going to speak first, who was going to make the first move. It was Alison who bit the bullet first. Journalists always did, they never could hold anything in.

"I deserved a phone call at least."

Emily nodded sullenly. "I know and I want to apologise for that, but you have to know that this is strange for me. I haven't done this in a long time."

"I haven't done this at all," Alison replied quickly, her voice raised, "with a woman I mean. I haven't done this with a woman." She watched as Emily's eyes widened slightly. If she hadn't scared Emily off already she probably had now. _Fucking fantastic Ali. _

"Okay," Emily said quietly. "I guess we are kind of even then." She looked at Alison again. Fully this time, taking the whole length of the blonde in. _God she was beautiful. _

"Em," Toby interrupted as he popped his head around the door. "The mayor wants to see us for some reason. And he wants to see us pronto." Emily smiled in his direction as he retreated back inside and her attention dutifully fell back onto Alison.

She shrugged apologetically in Alison's direction. "I will call or text you when I am back from whatever this is," she motioned with her hand back towards the door. "And Ali, I really am sorry I didn't call you." She smiled before she put her hand back into her pocket. "Take my popcorn as a token of my apology, I can tell you want some."

Alison grinned to herself as Emily walked back into the old bank. Emily glanced back and smiled at Alison once as the blonde popped a piece of the butter popcorn into her mouth.

_- x -_

Alison wrapped a towel around her midsection as she exited her bathroom. She'd taken a bath and her blonde hair hung wet around her shoulders. She could still smell the butter popcorn on her, it was strangely reassuring. Emily had text her regularly though out the afternoon and she could tell that the brunette was sorry for not calling her. It made her feel guilty.

There was a reason Emily was the way that she was. The buck stopped with Jessica Jackson and Alison resented her for it. Emily deserved to be happy. She stared at the silver MacBook that sat on her bed, she had convinced Parker to allow her to write about a spate of petty burglaries, it was better than nothing. After her run in with Paul MacKay, Parker looked at her if she was about to break. She wrung her hair out and yawned.

The door to her room edged open and for a second Alison's breath caught in her throat until her Mom came into view. She was carrying a delicate cup of tea on a tray, it was all very fancy. It was all very DiLaurentis. Her Mom looked at her the way Parker did. The only person who hadn't, she noticed, was Emily. She wondered if it was because they had both experienced being taken by a maniac.

"I just wanted to bring you some tea, I'll sit it here," Her Mom said as she placed the tray onto Alison's desk. She turned before she looked down at Alison, who was still sitting on the bed. "Have you been eating popcorn?"

Alison had moved back into her childhood home with her parent's months ago. She couldn't afford anywhere else by herself but this was not how Alison described it to anyone who would listen to her. She explained to them that she was just staying with them. Staying being the important word. It suggested impermanence to the situation. She shook her head. Twenty six and still living at home.

"Yes, I had some earlier with Emily." Her Mom smiled fondly before she walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

She had told herself over the past few days that she would get an apartment when she got recognition for her profile on Emily Fields. Parker had told her that there was positive views coming from it already. She hoped that it would lead to some sort of money windfall so she could actually get an apartment by herself. She could dream.

Alison dried herself quickly before she reached over to her desk for her tea. It was hot enough to drink, but not hot enough that it burned her taste buds. She'd done that a few times in a journalistic haste and it was never fun. She lay back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling but it soon became a blur and she surrendered to the darkness of sleep.

Alison was aware, she could hear the land line phone ringing downstairs. Her Mom or Dad almost never answered the phone, she didn't know why they still had one in the house. She rolled over to attempt to hear the conversation but after a few seconds she was lulled back to sleep. Her bed was too comfy and warm.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she felt her Mom's presence at her side. She mumbled incoherently as she tried to pull her duvet up and over her head. She could hear her Dad clattering about in the kitchen downstairs, she registered that it must be dinner time or just after it.

"I don't want any food just now," she said.

Her Mom pressed her hand gently onto her shoulder. It was something about the touch that made her know something wasn't right. It was too firm and too particular. She pulled herself up onto her elbows. Her Mom's face had furrowed. Something had happened to something. Alison's heart thudded in her chest.

"Jason?"

Her Mom reached out and smoothed a strand of blonde hair. "It's Emily, honey," she replied. "Her friend Spencer called, she told me she tried to get in touch with you but your phone was off." Alison glanced at her phone on her bed side table, the screen was black. It must have run out of battery.

"She told me to tell you not to worry, but Emily was at the hospital. Her and her partner got into some sort of car accident but it wasn't serious and she's going home. She just wanted to let you know. I think Emily's phone got broken or something so she couldn't call you herself."

Alison picked up her iPhone and pressed the home button. The screen remained black. She guessed that it was the first time she'd ever let her phone run out of battery, as a journalist it was unthinkable. _Rookie mistake_. She reached quickly for it before she hastily plugged it into her MacBook, the Apple logo flashed onto the screen.

"I'm going to see her," Alison stated simply as she manoeuvered out of bed. Her Mom moved, allowing her space to swing her legs out of her bed. She looked at her Mom as if telling her to get out of her room so she could change. Her Mom got the message as she nodded in Alison's direction.

"She's fine, Alison," she said as she hovered in Alison's bedroom door way.

"I know. She always is," Alison replied as she picked up the dress that she had worn earlier in the day. She grabbed her phone, it was at 4% and three iMessages from an unknown number popped up, she guessed they were from Spencer. She would have to charge it in her car.

She didn't even brush her hair before she picked her car keys up off her desk. It was just leaving seven thirty in the evening. She'd been asleep for nearly three hours. If the traffic wasn't bad she could be at Emily's apartment in less than thirty minutes.

"But I still want to see her."

_- x -_

Emily looked at the reflective panel on the elevator. Nothing about her was different. An elderly driver had driven into the back of Toby's car and as a caution they had both been taken to hospital to be checked over. Emily didn't have a scratch on her. Her phone had died in the hospital. She would call Alison when she charged it up, she was glad Spencer had called her. She didn't want the blonde to think she was ignoring her again.

When Emily got out of the elevator on her floor, she was surprised to see Alison sitting on the floor in front of her apartment door. She stood up when she saw her and gave Emily a little wave with her hand. Emily guessed that she had either just woken up or she had been crying, she wasn't wearing make up and her blonde hair was curled loosely around her shoulders. It didn't look as if it had been brushed.

Alison leaned her head against Emily's door as the brunette fumbled for her keys while she walked towards her.

"I need to sit or nap, I'm tired and so are you by the looks of it. I can just tell," Emily stated with a smile as she approached but when the brunette got to Alison she leaned her head against the door near the blonde's and ran her hand sheepishly through her hair.

"Are you okay?" Alison asked. Her eyes were glassy, filled with tears that were ready to drop. Emily could see her struggling not to blink. She was full of affection for the blonde. That's why Alison had come to her apartment. Alison was worried about her. Emily lifted her hand and gently touched Alison's cheek with her thumb.

"Yes."

Ali's eyes widened and then she blinked the tears from her eyes. Emily moved her hand from Alison's cheek into her blonde hair and pulled Alison towards her. Alison lifted her mouth to hers and she could feel the blonde's tears against her face, the warmth of her mouth, the warmth of her tongue.

Alison's hair was thick under her fingers and she moved an arm around to the small of Ali's back while Ali's arms reached around the back of her neck. She kissed the blonde gently but eagerly. It took a lot of self-control.

Her body was hungry for Alison and finally being there; tasting her, the smell of her fruity shampoo and the subtle hint of her skin, she had to consciously hold herself back. Emily didn't want to be rough with her. She didn't want it to be like anything that she'd ever had before.

But Alison seemed to have other ideas. She lifted herself up onto her toes, pushing her tongue deeper into Emily's mouth, she was dominant, her tongue circling Emily's. Her fingertips scratched the back of Emily's neck and then along the edges of her jaw.

Emily moved her hands down the blonde's body to her hips and backed her up against the wall, and then lifted her and pressed her body against Alison's, so that Alison was supported between her and the wall. Emily could feel Ali underneath her, the slightness of her, her hip bones, her dress scrunched up under Emily's hands, barely covering her. Emily's brain felt like it was buzzing, her hands were clumsy.

Her whole body was trembling. She kissed Alison deeper, willing herself to stay composed. Alison's hands glided along her cheeks pulling her closer and then she felt it properly. She wasn't the only one shaking; Alison was too. Emily let herself forget sometimes how vulnerable she was at times. She pulled her mouth from Alison's gently.

Alison looked at her, confused, cheeks flushed and lips still parted.

"I'm sorry," Emily mumbled.

"Why?"

Emily pressed her forehead against Alison's and tried to figure out a way to say it, how to explain to her. She took a deep breath and then lifted her eyes to look at Alison face to face. "Because I care about you."

Alison looked happy. She was glowing, even. She laid a hand on the front of Emily's chest. She could nearly feel Emily's heart beat surging against her chest. Emily could feel Alison's warm palm against her scar. It made her swallow.

"I know you do," Alison said gently.

"I can't do that right now, I'm not ready for that step. I'm sorry, I really am," Emily repeated as she looked down the hall away from Alison.

"Em, it's okay," Alison turned her face with her finger. "There's no rush. I'm not ready either but I'm not going anywhere. Even if you do ignore my calls again."

Emily smiled before she stepped back and pushed the key in the lock. "Do you want to come inside? You can stay for the night if you want...not like that obviously...but you know what I mean." Emily cringed inwardly at her stutter.

Alison nodded before she reached up to press her lips gently against Emily's. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt Emily respond gently. The brunette's hands gently gripped onto her hips. She pulled away before she looked up at the brunette through her blue eyes and long lashes.

"I'd like that, Em."


	11. Not Alone Any More

_A few things people have asked things that I want to clear up. A guest reviewer said they don't understand Emily and Jessica's relationship and that's okay but I think if you re read the flashbacks carefully you will get it :). Most of you want to see more of Jessica/Emily's relationship so I can definitely do that and a few of you have said you want a new crime for Emily etc to solve so I can work something out with that. This is a pretty fluffy chapter on the whole in comparison to what's been already. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Have an awesome day/night wherever you are and please leave me a review that would be awesome!_

* * *

><p><em>Jessica is lying on her side next to Emily. Her cheeks are flushed and she doesn't look cold, despite the bedroom window being ajar. "What did you tell Toby?" she asks.<em>

_Jessica has one hand supporting her head and the other is draped along her side, her elbow resting on the dip of her waist, her arm curves along her hip and her hand rests on her bare thigh. Her dark hair is messy and her skin almost glows._

_"I might have lied and said I had a counseling session with you," Emily replies. _

_Jessica's inclusion into their investigation has made coming up with excuses easy. It doesn't stop the tremendous guilt filling her chest. She hates lying to everyone._

_"Tell me about your day," Jessica says as she leans closer to Emily. Emily hesitates. Jessica will get the file tomorrow morning and it hardly seems appropriate to talk about it now. "I want to hear it from you Emily," she purrs._

_"She was in her mid twenties, dark hair," she tells Jessica quietly. "Graduated a couple of months ago, we think he crept into her house and then waited. The scene was definitely staged to make a point to us. It's escalating very quickly."_

_"What did she look like?" Jessica asks curiously._

_Emily hesitates. She's not sure whether she wants to tell her the answer and she's not sure that Jessica will want to hear the answer. "She looked like you actually. Dark hair, green eyes, she would have been beautiful." Emily feels Jessica shiver against her._

_"We don't have to talk about this Jessica." She never calls her Jess or any other shortened nickname. It, ironically, doesn't seem appropriate and she has a feeling Jessica wouldn't like it anyway. Jessica rolls off her tongue easily enough._

_"I want to know Emily," she replies sternly. "I want to try and understand the psychology of this killer."_

_It's always the killer with Jessica. It's never him or he. It's never gendered and Emily finds it slightly strange because usually everyone is happy to jump onto the gender bandwagon. And everything so far has pointed to a man._

_"You don't know it's a man for definite," Jessica speaks like she's been reading Emily's mind. "That's just your opinion based on a Spencer's psychological profile."_

_"Women don't kill like this."_

_She rolls over so she's pressed against Emily and she rests her head on Emily's bare chest, looking up at her with pale green eyes. "You'd be surprised at what I've seen women do in this line of work Emily," she says as she traces a small pattern with her fingertip over Emily's chest._

* * *

><p>The light was on in Emily's apartment when she got home. She could see it shining from outside, it made her feel like she was going home to someone or something. Alison must have left it on when she had left Emily's apartment earlier in the day. She was getting used to having the blonde around. It had been over a week since their first kiss and it hadn't been their last. She enjoyed kissing Alison, there was just something about her.<p>

Emily looked up at her building from where she had parked her car across the street. It looked a lot like every other apartment building in Rosewood; nothing to write home about. The glass in the windows reflected the fading light, so the building seemed to blink in and out of existence.

When Emily saw the brunette, for a moment she thought that the woman was inside her apartment, standing at her window, looking down at her. She reminded herself that Jessica was locked up. Then, after a spooked second, she realised that the woman was standing in the window a floor above hers. The woman was five floors up, but when she stepped back from the window Emily was sure that the woman had seen her looking up at the building. Another brunette. That's all Emily needed.

She trained her eyes back onto the ground and quickly made her way across the street. The building smelled like cinnamon and apple when she opened the door. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the number four, her phone started ringing again as soon as the doors had slammed shut. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket, but didn't answer it.

She tossed her phone onto the coffee table before she made her way through to her bedroom, shedding her clothes one item at a time until she was in her sweatpants and t-shirt. She walked through her apartment, grabbing a bottle of water before opening the window. It was a routine she had, it was nearly the same order every time. Despite the cold, she was glad of the breeze. She looked at her phone again. Fifteen missed calls flashed up on her screen.

The phone rang again. Vibrating noisily against the coffee table. Emily glanced at it before she looked at the ceiling, she could only avoid the call for so long. She felt a phantom pain under her scar and told herself that it was all in her head. She leaned over and picked up the phone before she pressed it against her ear.

"Don't you get that I don't want to talk to you?" Emily said.

There was a short pause on the other end of the phone. "Detective Fields?" came the reply, it was a woman's voice. "I'm Doctor Robin Andrews, down at Muncy."

"I know who you are," Emily replied as she walked towards the window. She'd listened to the first couple of voicemails that Robin had left her, she'd been hoping that after ignoring the first few calls the doctor would get the message. _Obviously not._

Emily had read Andrews' weekly reports on Jessica, usually she read them when she was with Jessica to try and blank out whatever fucked up thing the brunette was saying. Now that was the permanent arrangement. One way access, Emily hadn't gone last Sunday and she didn't plan on going this Sunday either. She had placed an emphasis on one way. She could know about Jessica but Jessica couldn't know about her anymore.

"I've been trying to reach you." _No shit_, Emily thought.

Emily ran her hand through her hair. She could see the backed up traffic in Rosewood, red taillights traveled as far as her eyes could manage. She imagined there must have been an accident to cause that kind of tail back. Her heart fluttered when she thought of Alison, but she quickly shook it away. _Bad things that happen don't always involve you._

"I'm not coming back," Emily said sternly. "Tell her to go fuck herself."

There was another brief pause, she heard Robin Andrews sigh. "She's been very withdrawn and is pretty adamant about needing to speak to you again."

Emily shook her head. "She's playing you Robin but there's no shame in it you know? I've been played by her to epic proportions." That was an understatement. "But whatever she is telling you to make you call me, it is lies."

"She said remember your secret."

Emily shuddered and the phone nearly slipped out of her grasp. She swallowed hard as she tried to recover her voice. "She's bullshitting you." She was a terrible liar. She hoped that didn't show over the phone.

"Is she?"

Emily laughed quietly as she shook her head. This was all part of Jessica's game. "This is crazy," she said. "This is what she does. She manipulates people and she's manipulating you to get to me. This is what she does." Emily would not give her the satisfaction, not this time.

"Are her allegations about the nature of your relationship false?"

And there it was. Emily had always questioned why she hadn't said anything when she was arrested. Waiting on the penny to drop had driven her crazy at first. She knew at any moment Jessica could go public or to a lawyer or to a cop. Emily had told a select few people some of the truth, but no one knew the whole story. No one but Jessica. She was prepared to deny it at all costs.

"Absolutely," Emily said.

"Really?"

Emily's mouth had gone dry. "Don't call me back again," she said as she hung up the phone.

Blood pulsed through her ears. Her chest ached. She tightened her grip around her phone and then backed over towards the window. She slammed her free first against the wall. Her hand throbbed with pain and she lifted a bleeding knuckle to her mouth. But the impact had shattered the anxiety in her. She was in control, for once, and it actually felt good. She was debating about giving the wall another thump when there was a knock at the door.

_- x -_

Emily stiffened. Every part of her brain was telling her to draw her weapon. She wasn't expecting anyone. _So what_? She thought to herself. People answered their doors all the time without an overwhelming feeling of wanting to carry a loaded firearm. Sometimes she forgot that there were people who went through life unaware that someone might want to press a gun to their skull at any time. She was going to answer it she decided.

She reached for the handle before she remembered her hand. She looked down at it, one of her knuckles were split, there was a path of blood on her hand. Another knock.

Alison shifted her weight from foot to foot as she knocked on Emily's apartment door. The door eventually opened and Emily looked out. She arched her eyebrows and blinked at her, like she was surprised to see her. That wasn't a surprise to her though, Emily didn't know she was coming over. It was a spur of the moment thing. Then Emily smiled at her and Alison's worries about turning up unannounced faded.

"Hi," she said as she stepped aside and allowed Alison to enter her apartment.

"Hi," Alison replied with a smile, she bent over to unzip her boots. She set them on the floor next to the couch before she wiggled her toes. She sighed contently as she sank into the black leather.

"Hi," Emily repeated as she closed the door and turned on her heels.

"You already said that," Alison teased. "Now do you have any food?"

"Probably not anything edible," Emily admitted as she slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans while the other held tightly onto her phone. She winced as the rough fabric cut across the split skin. Alison had noticed it too.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Alison asked as she stood up and walked back over to where Emily was standing. She tugged at the brunette's arm so it became free from her pocket.

"Jesus Emily. You're bleeding. What the hell happened?"

"I'm fine."

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Emily nodded at her. "Bathroom?" Emily nodded at her again.

She tugged gently on Emily's hand, steering her in the direction of the bathroom. The first time she had been in there she'd looked in Emily's medicine cabinet and got caught red handed. She sat the brunette onto the edge of the bath.

"Have you washed it?"

Emily looked down at her hand, it was starting to bruise around the knuckle that she'd split. "Not yet."

"Put it in the sink," Alison said.

She held Emily's hand under the tap, every time she moved it more blood pooled around the brunette's injured knuckle and then trickled down into the porcelain sink. If it hurt, Emily wasn't showing it. Then Alison noticed her vice like grip on her phone. It must have been one heck of a phone call.

"Did it help?" she asked. "Smashing your hand against the wall because of a phone call?" Emily looked down as Alison removed her hand from the running water. "I wrote an article on first aid a few years ago. I'm practically a paramedic now," Alison joked.

"Actually it did help," Emily replied. "And you're a good paramedic."

Alison dabbed some toilet paper against the injured hand, it had stopped bleeding now and then she pressed some anti septic cream onto the open skin. Emily could do this herself. Obviously. Alison was kind of shocked that Emily was letting her do it anyway. The blonde kneeled as she wrapped a fine layer of gauze around Emily's hand before she leaned down, took the gauze between her teeth and ripped it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Emily leaned forward on the sink before she softly pressed a kiss against Alison's forehead. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Ali."

Alison sighed. "It is when I come to your apartment to find you with a bleeding hand."

"It was Jessica's doctor," Emily relented, "she wanted to me go and see her again so I told her to go and fuck herself."

Alison smiled softly. It might not have been a massive admission but she knew she put Emily outside her comfort zone. "I think you did the right thing, I know my opinion doesn't count for much since I haven't known you a long time but I do think it's the right thing."

Emily tucked a loose strand of hair behind Alison's ear. "Your opinion counts to me." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Alison's, humming contently when she felt the blonde's mouth move easily against her own.

Emily looked at Alison for a moment before she rubbed her eye with her good hand. "Just understand that there are still things I can't tell you right now, Ali."

Alison gave her a 'no shit' look. "Worse things than I already know about you? How is that possible?"

Alison wanted to remind Emily that she wasn't there as a journalist, she was there as…well whatever it was that they were now. Emily could trust her. She wanted to tell Emily that she wouldn't deceive her. But mostly she wanted Emily to know that without being told it.

Emily shrugged. "It's not the right time to talk about it just now. Do you want to go for food?"

"In public? Together?"

"If you would like to then yes."

Alison beamed at the brunette; they'd spent the last week at Emily's apartment. Alison thought Emily was afraid to be seen in public with her, but she understood it, shrugging it off as Emily's own way of protecting herself until she felt comfortable.

"I'd love that."

_- x -_

It was the sound of people outside. Their voices screeched through Emily's window like nails on a chalkboard. She pressed the home button on her phone, it was just after two in the morning. She gave up trying to sleep and sat up in her bed, she resisted calling Alison, she knew the blonde was asleep. She had fallen asleep on the phone to Emily. Emily had strangely found it comforting.

Her neck was stiff and she reached up to rub the back of it as she swung her legs out of bed. Despite it being mid October, sweat crawled down her back. Her vest top clung to her skin too tightly. She moved her hand around to her throat, she could feel the blood beating underneath her fingertips. It was a reassuring reminder that she was alive. Alison reminded her of that fact every time they were together.

She lowered her hand and looked at it. Her palm was damp with sweat where Alison had tightly wrapped the gauze. She unwound the bandage, it was dotted with dried blood, and then she got to her feet and walked into the bathroom. She tossed the gauze into the bin and then ran her hand under the cold water, splashing water on her face when she was done.

When she looked up, she was faced with her reflection. Her hair was curly at the ends, she looked like she'd gained some weight back onto her face, in comparison to the last time she looked in the mirror she looked better. Younger. Healthier. Happier? Emily smiled. She would text Alison when she got back into bed, even if she didn't get a reply until morning.

She wondered, briefly, if Jessica had a mirror. She imagined that the psychopath would look worse for wear, she always did when she didn't get her way. Emily was glad Jessica couldn't see her smiling in the mirror at the simple thought of Alison DiLaurentis.

* * *

><p><em>"You'll catch this killer," Jessica says. She says it with so much promise that Emily almost believes her. Almost. Her expression is completely serious and Emily finds herself nodding non-committedly. "I know you will," Jessica reaffirms as she continues to draw patterns on Emily's skin.<em>

_Emily isn't so confident. She feels further away from whoever this guy is than she ever has done before. The crimes are accelerating and each new scene seems more violent than the last. They fall into silence. The curtains in the window blow gently but don't make a sound._

_"Did you think of me today?" Jessica asks._

_"Yes," Emily replies openly before she looks away._

_She swings her legs out of bed and onto the floor before she untangles herself from Jessica and sits up. "I have to go home," It's a hollow admission. She's looking for a new apartment, but she feels like she's cheating on Paige, going home after this. Even though she knows she isn't. They've been over for a long time, they just couldn't admit it to each other._

_She crawls behind Emily and puts her arms around her waist. "You don't have to go."_

_"I do."_

_"Look at me, Emily,"_

_She has perfect green eyes that compliment the shape of her face. Her features are soft and her skin glows. "You will catch this person and when you do it'll be a revelation."_

* * *

><p>Alison woke to the sound of birds. She opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness, she could see light reflecting outside the curtains. She lay there for a few minutes without moving. Her and Emily had gone out together in public. She didn't know what it meant for them. She knew the talk was coming, but she was wary of pushing Emily too far, too quickly. She didn't want to do that. She thought, given time, they could actually have something.<p>

She was startled when her phone began to ring on the bed side table, she reached over for it. The number wasn't registered on her phone. But being a journalist it wasn't unusual for people to call her randomly.

"Hello," she croaked into phone, her voice was still full of sleep.

"Is this Alison DiLaurentis?" the voice asked. It was a woman, that's all Alison could tell from it, she didn't recognise the person's voice.

"Yes?"

"I'm Robin Andrews, I'm calling on behalf of Jessica Jackson."

Alison eyes squinted again as she pulled the phone away from her face to check the number again. She wondered if this was some sort of sick prank from someone but she couldn't think who would want to do that to her. No one wanted anything to do with Jessica.

"Why? I think there has been some sort of a mistake." Deep down she knew there wasn't. Jessica didn't make they kind of mistakes, that's why she still couldn't get her head around Jessica saving Emily.

"There hasn't been. She would like to see you again." There was an emphasis on the word again. "And she said you should bring your recording device because you will want to hear what she has to say to you."

Alison shook her head. She realised that this was the same phone call that had sent Emily over the edge last night, she couldn't blame the brunette. This was messing with her head and she wasn't the one who had been captured by Jessica.

"Tell her no," Alison replied quickly.

"She's been very adamant Miss DiLaurentis," Robin Andrews answered, Alison thought her voice sounded tired. Hers would probably sound tired too if she had to monitor a crack job like Jessica Jackson.

"The answer is no. I have to go now." Alison hung up and her phone phased back onto the home screen.

There were two messages in her conversations. Both of them were from Emily. She laughed gently to herself as she read them, trust her to fall asleep on the phone, she would be embarrassed if she had done that to anyone else but with Emily it didn't seem so bad. She made a decision not to tell Emily about her phone call from Robin Andrews, she was dealing with enough and Alison wasn't going to add to that.

Instead, she typed out a good morning message to Emily and waited on a reply.

_- x -_

Emily was sitting at her desk, reading the _Herald _over a cup of coffee, as always. They hadn't relocated her team; it was as if the mayor was waiting on another psychopath to appear at any moment. It wouldn't have surprised Emily, plus she was getting used to her small, poxy office. The paper wasn't as good without Alison's daily input, but maybe she was just being biased.

There was a section on the second page about Jessica Jackson. The press still hadn't run out of things to say about her. Apparently there were Jessica Jackson masks going on sale for the impending Halloween craziness, Emily shook her head and closed the paper just as Alison strolled into her office, two coffees in hand.

"Good morning, detective," she said as she sat on the leather chair and pushed the coffee across the wooden desk. Emily took the new cup happily and then she sat it next to the old one before she stood and walked across the office floor to close the blinds.

"People look at me enough already, so when I have company it is even worse," she offered as an explanation as Alison's eyebrows arched playfully.

"Have much female company back here do you?" Alison teased.

Emily grinned before she took a sip of the coffee; Alison knew exactly how she liked it. "Nope, just you."

An email notification pinged on Emily's screen. She smiled quickly at Alison before her eyes scanned over it, an email from Robin Andrews. Emily had to give it to the doctor she did not give up, she imagined Jessica had made sure of that. People were afraid of serial killers it was basic human nature. Even doctors, even when the beautiful serial killer was chained up at every meeting they had. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the last line; a request for Emily to visit the prison.

"I have to go and meet Donna, I just wanted to bring you a coffee," Alison said. "But I will text you later if you want to do something?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Emily replied. She was glad Alison had to leave but she tried not to show it. She was already thinking about what she would say on the phone to Robin Andrews to get her point across that she was finished with Jessica.

Alison seemed to sense that she was distracted and she walked around to where Emily's chair was. The blonde leaned forward and put her hand on Emily's cheek, and then kissed her fully on the mouth. As the heat of their mouths met, her hand fell to Emily's shoulder where she gripped gently. She dug her nails in slightly and Emily's breath caught in her throat. By the time Alison stood up, they were both out of breath.

"I will see you later right?" Alison asked, her eye lashes fluttering.

For the first time in as long as she could remember Emily felt a twitch of anticipation in her stomach. She smiled. "Definitely."

_- x -_

The park was whirling with active Rosewood citizens exercising in every kind of way. From joggers to bikers to skateboarders. It was lunch hour and the benches facing the lake were jammed packed with the usual array of people. Businessmen eating a quick lunch before the next meeting. Couples sharing food on their lunch hour. Children with their parents. And it wouldn't be Rosewood without the odd schizophrenic feeding the birds.

The outside edge of the park where Emily stood was less colourful than the park itself. The air tasted like car fumes and the constant traffic on the road next to the park blurred out all other sounds. But Emily didn't mind it, Alison wouldn't be long and she could afford to wait for the blonde. The lake shimmered in the cold midday sun and it looked ambiguously clear and blue. Emily knew better.

"Thank you for waiting on me," Alison said with a grin as she approached.

Emily let her eyes wander over Alison, it wasn't the first time she'd done that today but she could get away with it. She smiled back before she replied. "That's okay, I didn't have to wait too long." She stepped aside and motioned for Alison to walk through the gate and into the park first.

"How did the meeting with Donna go?" Emily asked as she fell into step with Alison.

"Pretty good, I also asked Parker if I could work the crime beats full time and he put up some resistance but finally gave into me."

Emily felt Alison's shoulder bump against her own, she hadn't realised they were walking so close together. "So, if there's any more crazy guys around here we will be working together again?"

Alison turned her head slightly in Emily's direction. "Looks like it. Do you have a problem with that?"

Emily shook her head. "Not at all, I didn't mean it to sound like that," she answered trying to cover her back but when she turned her head she could see Alison smiling at her. "That was mean, Ali."

"It was, I'm sorry," she laughed. "Do you want to grab something from the food cart?" Alison pointed to the food cart in the distance at the other side of the park before her hand fell back to her side, brushing against Emily's. She watched as the brunette looked down at their hands before her attention returned to the park.

They walked quietly towards the food cart and by the time they had gotten there, there was an empty bench down by the lake. "I'll get us the food if you get us the bench?" Alison offered.

Emily looked around at the empty bench before she nodded and walked off. Alison watched her for as long as she could before she ordered them their hot dogs. Her phone rang in her purse, she pulled it out and saw the same number as this morning. She rejected it before she slipped it back into her purse. She didn't know what the hell Jessica wanted with her, all she knew was that it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Here you go," Alison stated as she handed Emily her food, the brunette took it eagerly, not waiting on Alison to sit before taking a generous bite out of it. Alison laughed as she looked at Emily. The brunette just shrugged and patted her free hand on the bench.

They sat in relative silence while they ate, Emily observed the park. She done that a lot now, just sat and watched people. She never knew when danger was around the corner, so she made sure that she was always as prepared as she could be. She noticed a family with their dog. She'd always wanted a dog but Paige had been allergic. She wondered if Alison liked dogs.

"Do you like dogs?"

Alison's brows creased at the random question. "I do. I had a dog when I was a teenager and his name was Pepe. Where the hell did that question come from?"

Emily shrugged gently. "I just saw a dog over there and I realised I didn't know that about you." Alison smiled at the innocent observation.

Emily crossed her legs as her arm found it's way along the back of the bench. Alison didn't know if it was deliberate or not. She didn't think Emily would appreciate her bringing it up, so she stayed silent. Emily cocked her head as Alison remained tight lipped. It was like Emily was expecting her to say something.

"Yes, I'm aware of what I just done."

Alison giggled like a schoolgirl. There was something about Emily that made her feel content, like nothing else in the world mattered apart from her. She'd had exes before, but none of them had looked at her the way Emily did. Even this early on in whatever it was she could call them, no one looked at her like Emily. No one made her feel as comfortable as Emily. Butterflies hummed in her stomach.

"I'm glad you done it," Alison replied as she scooted slightly closer, their bodies touching. Emily sighed and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. There were butterflies in Emily's stomach too.

Alison's phone rang again. She leaned down and dug the phone out of her purse, she glanced down at the number. It was the woman from Muncy prison again. She was going to have to change her number at this rate. She wondered if she should tell Emily, then she remembered Emily's injured hand and answered her own question.

"Do you need to answer that?" Emily asked, her arm was still resting against the back of the bench.

Alison rejected the call and put her phone on silent. "No, it can wait," she replied before she leaned back against Emily's arm.

_- x -_

Alison stood in the elevator with her over night bag. Her parents were hosting a dinner party that she definitely didn't want to be a part of. Luckily, Emily had invited her over anyway. She would definitely rather spend the evening with Emily than her parents and their friends. They'd sympathise with her that she hadn't found a charming young man to settle down with. _If only they knew, _Alison thought to herself as the elevator door chimed.

Emily answered on the third knock, she was in her usual sweatpants and t-shirt. Alison thought she looked good anyway. She stepped inside before she kicked her boots off. "I brought food tonight, to actually cook so I hope you like pasta and garlic bread."

Their dynamic had changed before her eyes. Emily could feel it. For a detective, she wasn't very good at noticing they things. _It probably changed when you kissed her you idiot. _Alison smiled as she moved around the kitchen, only interrupting Emily's thoughts when she couldn't find something. For the most part though, she managed fine, she moved around Emily's kitchen like she knew it intimately.

She'd put her arm around Alison earlier which was a step in the right direction. She had debated about it thoroughly, she wondered if anyone else had ever thought about it as much as she had, she doubted it. But she'd done it. Nerves and all. It was a step in the right direction.

The next step was holding the blonde's hand. If she could picture one small step at a time then she could do it. She just hoped Alison would be patient with her, she'd had no indication that the blonde wouldn't be but still, Emily would understand if Alison changed her mind about them.

"Dinners ready," Alison called from the kitchen. Emily could smell the garlic bread wafting across the room. She smiled as she stood, she was looking forward to her dinner.

It was just after twelve and Alison was asleep next to her. The blonde's head rested on her palm, and while her face was facing the TV her eyes were shut and Emily could tell by her breathing that she was asleep. She looked peacefully happy. Emily reluctantly nudged her and watched as sleepy blue eyes opened to meet her own.

"You fell asleep."

"Again?" Alison joked as she rolled her eyes and yawned.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

The blonde nodded before she got to her feet. She waited as Emily turned the TV and lights off, it didn't take her long. They walked down the hallway towards the bedrooms, Alison hadn't slept in Emily's bed yet. She knew it was Emily's own way of protecting herself.

She leaned up and kissed Emily gently on the cheek, she was surprised when she felt Emily's fingers curl around her wrist. "We can share if you want? ... To sleep obviously, but I...I sleep with the light on." Emily reddened at her childish admission.

Alison shrugged before she put her hand on Emily's shoulder. "I can sleep with the light on too."

Emily pulled the duvet back before she flicked on the bed side table light. The room was bathed in a soft yellow glow. Emily watched curiously as Alison got into her bed, switching positions until she eventually settled on her back. She realised that Alison was waiting to see how she lay in bed. She climbed in and pulled the duvet over them, she could feel the heat of Alison against her.

If she could let Alison lean against her arm on a bench she could do it in bed. That's what normal people do, she reminded herself. She stretched her arm out and Alison dutifully laid her head against it, she was grateful when the blonde didn't say anything.

A few minutes passed, Emily couldn't hear anything apart from her heart beating furiously against her rib cage. "Do I get a kiss goodnight?" Alison asked. Emily shook her head jokingly.

"Yes, you do," she eventually replied before she leaned over in the blonde's direction. She pressed their lips together gently, savouring the feel of Alison's lips against her own. She could get used to this. The normality of this.

"Goodnight, Ali," she breathed when she pulled away.

"Goodnight, Em."


	12. Where You Stand

_Thank you to everyone who left me a review, there were a few in depth ones which I absolutely loved! So glad you guys are enjoying this. As for the questions and theories you all have I love reading them too so keep hitting me with them. And everyone seemed happy about seeing Jessica again so we will see more of her whether it's in flashbacks or in the story you will have to wait and see. Have an awesome day. If you wish, and it's always genuinely appreciated, please leave me a review or drop me a message!_

_P.s we don't celebrate it here in Scotland but to my American readers – Happy belated Thanksgiving!_

* * *

><p><em>Jessica hangs back slightly as Emily opens the door to her office. Rosewood Police Department is quiet, there are a few officers in the lobby who didn't even give them a second glance as they walked past. Emily uses a key to open the door, she pushes it open and then allows Jessica to enter first.<em>

_She flicks on the light as she walks in behind Jessica. It's Jessica's idea to be here, she's usually content to see crime scene photos in the morning but tonight it's different for some reason. There's photos pinned to a bulletin board on the wall, in addition to the ones that sit in a neat stack on Emily's desk._

_Jessica is wearing a fitted skirt with a tight shirt and heels that highlights her figure. Emily wonders, selfishly, if Jessica has worn it for her benefit. She stands against the desk and watches as Jessica wanders over to the board, her fingers tracing across the photos that are pinned up._

_"This doesn't bother you does it?" Jessica asks, as she turns her head in Emily's direction._

_She's only surprised by the question for a second until she knows what Jessica means. She's starting to become immune to Jessica reading her, she is a psychologist after all._

"The killings bother me yes, of course they do but the crime scenes no. I've seen it all before in the past few years."

_Jessica takes a step towards her. "I didn't see you yesterday."_

_"I was busy," Emily says._

_"You work too hard," Jessica replies simply._

_Emily smiles sadly. "Everyone says that to me."_

T_hey are face to face now, Emily is just an inch or so taller than her, even with Jessica in her heels. Jessica tucks her fingers between the lower buttons of Emily's shirt and her fingers dance easily across Emily's toned stomach. She brings her lips to Emily's and Emily accepts her mouth. Eagerly. Shamelessly. Selfishly._

_She pulls away and smiles wickedly at Emily. "I've decided that tonight you won't be working,"_

_Emily cocks her head in her direction. "Are you calling me a work crank?"_

_Jessica keeps her eyes fixed on Emily's as she twirls them around and hops onto brunette's desk, her legs wrap around Emily's waist tightly. Jessica's eyes are still on her, those perfect green eyes, as she lowers her hand to Emily's belt and begins to unbuckle it. But a glimpse over Jessica's shoulder to the photos on her desk pulls Emily out of the moment. It's wrong._

_"This isn't right," Emily says as she tries to pull away._

_She fumbles with her belt and tries to push the want for Jessica to the back of her head. This can't happen, not here and not now._

_"We can put them away sweetheart, it's not a big deal to me."_

_Emily looks at her unconvincingly. "It's not about putting them away Jessica, they are actual crime scene photos. The woman in that photo is dead for fuck sake."_

_She pulls away fully and runs her hand through her hair. It's the first time she's said no to Jessica and she's unsure if she's going to regret it or not._

* * *

><p>The crowds in Philadelphia had thinned now that rush hour had come and gone, the air was cold, but Walnut Street bustled with energy. Restaurants and shops were open late and were busy. Packs of teenagers in varying styles – some with tattoos and piercings everywhere and some with none – dotted themselves across the sidewalks, forcing Emily and Alison to walk around them.<p>

They walked in step, side by side. Emily was hyper aware every time Alison's hand brushed against her own or when the blonde was haphazardly bumped into her. She wanted to grab Alison's hand to direct her in the path offering least resistance. That was the excuse anyway.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked as Alison was bumped into her for the fifth time in as many minutes. Alison smiled across at her, in her heels she was the same height as the brunette. Alison looked beautiful, Emily wanted to tell her that but the words stuck in her throat. She was still getting re acquainted with the whole dating thing.

"I'm fine, but if you want to be my knight in shining armour that's okay too," Alison joked gently as they continued their way through the crowds of people.

"I want to hold your hand," Emily said simply as they stepped off into a little crevice off the street. Alison wondered if she had heard correctly, her brows pinched together. "No, you heard me right," Emily reaffirmed as her face reddened, "I mean you don't have to. I just… yeah."

Alison smiled at the innocence of Emily's words, she wondered if it was as hard for anyone else as it was for Emily, she doubted it and her heart clenched in her chest at the thought of what made Emily like that. She pushed it to the back of her mind, this was their first official date and she was determined to make the most of it.

"No, I want to hold your hand too." She held her hand out and sighed contently when she felt Emily's fingers link with her own.

Seeing them walk hand in hand, engrossed in each others company, it would have been easy for a passer by to assume, correctly, that they were a young couple embarking on the start of their relationship. Tonight they were heading for Melrose's Steak House. It was Alison's choice, Emily couldn't remember the last time that she had been to a restaurant for the simple enjoyment of having a meal with someone.

Her restaurant habits, though, were usually unadventurous. At a steak house she pretty much always ordered the same thing: a rare fillet steak with whatever was served with it. Usually she asked for extra fries and she generally washed it down with a cold house beer.

She'd learned over the past few days that Alison, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit of a foodie. She could certainly cook and she was looking forward to one of Melrose's specialties, she had recited it fully before they had left and now Emily couldn't remember what it was that Alison wanted. Emily considered their different approaches to dining a tiny incompatibility.

Melrose's, as expected, was crowded and noisy, two groups stood by the door waiting to be seated. Since their own reservation wasn't for another fifteen minutes, Emily and Alison wandered into the classy bar that accompanied the restaurant. Emily signalled for a bottle of the house beer and without having to ask, a white wine for Alison.

"You're very impressive on a date Em," Alison said with a smile as Emily helped her hop onto one of the stools that sat at the bar. The stool next to Alison was occupied so she stood at the side of the blonde, their bodies brushing together.

"I do try," Emily replied softly. "But I am really hungry so I can't wait to eat."

"Alison," a voice called from across the bar. Emily recognised her as Donna Gomez, she'd spoken to the journalist nearly two years ago regarding Jessica. It had been a quick interview but she had liked her and clearly Alison did too. _Do not think about Jessica here._

"Do you mind?" Alison asked as she lifted her chin in Donna's direction. Emily shook her head gently.

"Not at all, just remember our reservation will probably be in ten minutes." Alison pecked Emily on the cheek before she made her way over to her mentors stool at the other side of the bar.

Emily watched Alison's face, alive and enthusiastic, as she and Donna spoke about whatever it was they were speaking about. Emily found her all kinds of attractive. Despite the hell she'd been through in the last year or so, Emily found herself happy to be shutting out the world and concentrating, on both, Alison and the smooth beer that travelled easily down her throat.

By the time they had been seated, Emily was on her second beer. Alison was just finishing the last of her first wine. She knew that she should tell Emily that she had accepted Jessica's invitation to meet with her on Sunday. Emily would want to know. She would want to talk Alison out of it. Fuck that. She would want to forbid Alison from doing it altogether.

And then, being the person that she was, Alison would go anyway, terrified and all. And then, after that, Emily would be disappointed and would want to protect her and she didn't want that either. She didn't want the disappointed part but the protective part she liked. She had decided that if she went to see Jessica then maybe Jessica would leave Emily alone. Let her move on. Stop the phone calls that made Emily slam her hand into a wall.

She wouldn't tell Emily, not yet anyway. Alison fished out her phone from her purse and turned it onto silent. Nothing was going to interrupt their first Friday date night.

"To our first date," Alison said as she held up her nearly empty wine glass. Her blue eyes sparkled across the table in Emily's direction.

"First date," Emily repeated as she smiled over at Alison. The blonde really was a vision and she was seriously lucky.

_- x -_

It was Sunday morning and Emily was reading her newspaper, she was sitting on her couch reading it with her first cup of coffee of the day. Every so often she lifted her eyes onto the TV, it wasn't interesting or useful, so her eyes fell back onto the paper. She scanned the first page quickly before she turned it over with her fingers.

The Jessica Jackson craze hadn't died. There were t-shirts with her face on it, masks that replicated her face, there were even hair salons offering the same hair style as her in time for Halloween. Next to it, Emily saw her own picture. It was part of the story about the task force who had ultimately caught Jessica. The photo was taken when she first started working homicides, before Jessica had left her with unforgettable scars. It was in the past. She was closing the paper when she heard the knock.

It was Hanna. She always knocked the same way. One loud thump before she walked in the door. To Emily's surprise she just knocked, then she realised her apartment door was still locked. The handle rattled up and down as Hanna pressed impatiently down on it.

"I know you're in there, Em," she called through the door.

Emily straightened her t-shirt and got to her feet. She wasn't expecting Hanna, but the blonde had a unique talent at turning up at the most inconvenient of times.

"I wasn't planning on not answering," Emily said as she opened the door. Hanna breezed past her and into the apartment. She was wearing a flower printed dress with a cream blazer, hardly appropriate for autumn weather but Emily didn't think Hanna cared much about that, plus she looked good in it, it suited her.

Emily closed the apartment door behind them, when she turned around Hanna was already grabbing a coffee mug out of the top cupboard. "Yeah that's fine, Han. Just you help yourself. Let me guess," Emily said. "You just happened to be in my neighbourhood at this time on a Sunday morning. Because that's not coincidental. I'm not going to see her don't worry."

She watched as Hanna poured herself the last cup of coffee from the pot and then walked through the kitchen and into the living room where she sank onto the leather couch. Emily had the feeling something was wrong and Hanna wasn't just there to check up on her or to make sure that she hadn't gone to see Jessica.

Hanna straightened up and looked at her. She held her coffee between her hands and blew on it to cool it down. It was then Emily noticed that Hanna's eyes were red and her mascara was slightly smeared. She looked like she hadn't slept but had just changed her clothes for the day.

"I think me and Caleb are over, we had a huge argument and he left. I've tried his phone and he hasn't answered. I went over to his old place but he wasn't there either. I'm so angry yet worried about him at the same time."

Emily wanted to ask what the argument was about, but she didn't. "Do you have a key to his old place?" She asked. She watched as Hanna glanced away from her as she shook her head.

"We never use it since he moved into my apartment but because we couldn't get it sold he held onto the only key."

Emily took a breath, she didn't want Hanna to overreact. Caleb would come back in his own time, she knew that and Hanna did too deep down. For all Hanna knew, Caleb was in the house and just hadn't answered. But, for a change, it was nice not to talk about her and her problems. It was nice to forget about it for a while, to just talk like normal best friends.

Emily checked her phone, it wasn't even nine in the morning yet. The way guys worked was to go and get drunk and then sleep it off. She reasoned that's what Caleb was probably doing right now. "Give him time Han, you know what guys can be like. Well I obviously don't but you know what I mean."

"Why do they have to be such jerks?!"

Emily lifted her hand to cut her friend off. "Shh," she said. She looked down the hall at her bedroom, the door was open the way she had left it but she didn't hear any movement. Alison was probably still asleep, like most sane people on a Sunday morning at that time.

Hanna's brow furrowed. "What?" she said as she looked around at the hall way. "Did Toby crash here after work? Were you even working last night?"

"No."

Hanna looked at her, still not getting what Emily was meaning. "I have a guest, Han." Emily said as Hanna's eyes widened. "It's Alison and she is still asleep so keep your voice down. You sound like a foghorn."

"Are you dating her?" Hanna asked.

Emily could see the blonde's eyes dancing at the prospect of her finally moving on. Emily wanted to smile but she didn't, she knew it would lead to a barrage of teasing and it was too early for that on a Sunday morning.

"We're taking it slow, we just had our first official date on Friday," Emily offered as an explanation.

She was trying to find a better way to describe them when Alison sauntered into the room. She was in a vest top and pale blue shorts that hit her thigh, even without make up or a shower, she was absolutely gorgeous. It was then that Emily realised how similar Hanna and Alison looked. Even Emily hadn't seen that until now, with both of them in the same room.

Emily fumbled with her words. Hanna didn't move, her eyes taking in Alison before glancing over at Emily with a cocky grin. Alison's eyes were fixed on Hanna, she was like a deer in the headlights. Alison looked as surprised to see Hanna as Hanna was to see her.

"Hi," Alison said.

Emily lifted her hand to her head, this is not how she wanted her best friend to meet Alison. Not when Alison was in a vest top and bed time shorts and had clearly just rolled out of her bed.

"Hi, Alison. I've heard a lot about you," Hanna replied as she stood and took the other blonde's hand. A friendly handshake was always a positive sign Emily thought.

Alison smiled shyly at the other blonde, Emily could see her appraising Hanna. She wondered if Alison thought they'd ever been more as friends, Emily could have swore that she saw a flicker of insecurity in Alison's eyes but then it was gone and all Emily could hear was them making small talk around her as if she wasn't there.

"Okay, well we need to get breakfast and get dressed so we will see you later," Emily stated as she shuffled Hanna towards her apartment door.

"Don't hustle me out your apartment, Fields," Hanna whispered as they reached the apartment door, glancing over her shoulder Emily could see Alison watching them with curious eyes. This was all she was needing. Questions from Hanna and Alison.

"I like her anyway, she seems nice," Hanna added as Emily pressed down on the door handle and opened it. "It's good that you're finally giving her a chance."

"Well that's good, I'm glad you like her. Listen, Caleb will be back soon and let me know how it goes okay? I hope you enjoyed the coffee. And no one knows about this so please keep it quiet okay?"

Hanna nodded her agreement. "Got it, keep it on the down low, on the QT."

"On the down low? What are we eight?"

Hanna arched her eyebrow at her best friend. "Okay, yeah Hanna keep it on the down low. And no teasing I don't know what this is yet. Like I said we are taking things slow."

"Yep, sure you are. I saw her coming out of your bedroom, Em." Hanna winked as Emily closed the door behind her best friend.

_- x -_

Alison parked her Mini Cooper in the visitors parking lot outside the prison. She felt the sea of anxiety swell in her stomach, her nerves began to tangle in a knot. The drive to the prison had been horrendous, she had debated about turning around and telling Emily what she was doing. She had a bad feeling about it all. She'd lied to the brunette about where she had to be when she had left the apartment. The lie ate at her like a flesh eating bug.

She flipped down the visor and checked herself in the mirror. Her hair sat the same position it had when she left and she ran her fingers through it one more time, just because it gave her something to do rather than go into the prison. She made sure that she didn't wear blue denim this time. She added mascara and then checked her reflection again. She could do this.

She got out of her car and walked towards the prison's main entrance, it felt bigger compared to the last time that she was there with Emily and Toby, which wasn't long ago. She pulled on the thick double doors and shivered when the blast of air conditioning hit her.

A woman sat behind the reception desk, the last time she'd been there, they'd completely by passed it. Emily obviously had that special privilege. The receptionist looked up at her with a forced smile that was obviously practiced on everyone who walked through the double doors.

"I'm here to see Jessica Jackson."

Alison looked at Robin Andrews. The doctor had met her at the reception area and was escorting her to the observation room that she already knew. The doctor had placed her purse into a locker, the only thing she was allowed to take was her phone, and that was only because Jessica wanted the conversation recorded.

Alison wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't cold but the goose bumps had formed on her arms. "Are you okay?" Andrews asked.

"I'm fine," Alison replied, her heels clicked against the linoleum floor underneath her as they walked. As they moved further towards the observation room, Andrews swiped her badge over electronic scans that allowed them access to the waiting area outside the observation room.

Andrews was in her early forties and Alison could see her as a doctor a mile off. She had cropped light brown hair with a very average face. She didn't wear the cliché white coat, instead she had chosen a classy woman's suit. Alison noticed that her shoes were slips on. Probably as reassurance that Jessica Jackson couldn't strangle her if there were no shoe laces available. Alison shuddered, she was glad she had worn heels.

"This is the room," Andrews said as they came to a stop outside the large black metal door. "She's waiting for you."

"Wait a second, you're not coming in with me?" Alison asked, she felt like her stomach had dropped onto the floor. "I can't go in there alone."

Andrews threw her a fake sympathetic look. "She's fully manacled, you won't be in any danger."

Alison nearly choked on her own saliva. "Not in any danger? Not in any –" she gave Andrews an incredulous look. "This is Jessica Jackson we are talking about. Are you aware of that?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"All of you are wrong you know," Alison said, her voice raised. "She shouldn't be here, I'm against the death penalty, I don't believe in killing people. Jessica Jackson though? She's the one exception. She removed a detective's appendix in a basement for fuck sake."

Andrews had that doctor-ish look on her face. The passive yet unimpressed look doctors gave you when you were wasting their time. There was hardly any facial expression and yet Alison could tell that it was judgmental all at the same time.

"When you're done, press the buzzer on the wall and it will open the door to let you out."

Alison watched as Robin Andrews turned on her heels and walked out of the waiting area. She was alone apart from the guard that sat at the TV monitor, he was eating a taco like it was the most normal thing in the world. Sitting like a Rottweiler guarding it's psychopath.

Robin Andrews brought her phone out of her pants pocket and dialed the now familiar number. "Detective Fields?" she asked into the handset. "It's Robin Andrews… yes again. It's just to let you know that Jessica has a visitor." There was a pause on the line.

"A Miss Alison DiLaurentis."

_- x -_

To Alison's relief Robin Andrews had a change of heart and the doctor was now in front of her. The door opened into the room and Alison could smell the same toxic smell that she could the last time. It was nauseating. She followed Robin into the room tepidly. _This is what turkeys must feel like before Thanksgiving._

Jessica was sat on her chair, her head was down facing the table, all Alison could see were strands of dark hair and the blue uniform underneath that gave the vague shape of a body. Alison could feel the hairs on her arms stand up on end. She straightened out her dress, she couldn't compete with Jessica on looks but she wanted to at least try.

"Jessica," Robin said. "Your visitor is here."

Jessica stirred and then snapped her head up in Alison's direction. The movement was enough for the blonde's breath to hitch in her throat, she drew back, startled.

Jessica was still the type of woman who could render a room silent when she walked through the door. Alison, irrationally, hated her for being so pretty. Even in her prisoner's jumpsuit she was extremely pretty, apart from the dark circles that clung to the skin under her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept properly in days.

Alison, at the beginning, had been one of the large crowd of people that couldn't understand how someone so beautiful could be responsible for the heinous acts that she had committed. She still didn't understand it fully.

Jessica licked her lips, a sheen of saliva coated them. "Sit down sweetie."

Alison nodded grimly as she pulled a seat out from underneath the table. When she sat down on it she was careful not to get too close to the table, her heart was hammering in her chest, her brain was screaming at her to run as fast as she could and yet here she was sitting across from a beautiful megalomaniacal serial killer.

"Lets get started shall we?" Jessica purred, she was feeding off Alison's anxiety already, Alison could feel it in the air between them. "Oh, and turn it on."

It took a few seconds for Alison to understand what she was talking about, and then she realised that Jessica meant her phone that was gripped tightly in her left hand. She placed it on the table and hit the record button. The room went deathly silent. A glance to her right confirmed that Robin Andrews was still standing in the room with them.

"When I was eighteen," Jessica stated as the shackles clinked against the table, "I had an affair with a married woman."

Alison watched as Jessica remembered the memory, a small smile formed at the corner of her mouth. Alison glanced nervously back at Andrews, she was watching Jessica with complete interest. Alison couldn't look at Jessica so kept her eyes on her phone._ Focus on something. Anything._

"She was the first person I killed," Alison couldn't help but look up, Jessica said it as if it was as simple as buying groceries. "I lured her to a dingy motel out of town. She thought I wanted to go there for a weekend of sex. I tied her up but she didn't like it. Some people don't like it too rough."

Emily. That's where Jessica wanted Alison's mind to go. But Alison pushed it aside. Whatever fucked up relationship Emily and Jessica had in that basement and the subsequent months after it was their business. Alison couldn't go there. Couldn't let her mind wander to Emily in that basement, the thought made bile rise in her throat.

Jessica smirked as she turned her face towards Robin Andrews. "Alison likes Emily but I have warned her off." She turned her face back to Alison. "I hope you took notice of my warning sweetie." Alison felt her face grow hot.

"I didn't want her to die," Jessica steered them back onto the original conversation. "I wanted her to stay alive to understand what I was doing to her." Jessica took a deep breath before she blew her cheeks out. "But I had hurt her too much, I didn't have the kind of experience that I developed later on in my trade. I didn't pace myself well enough."

_Like when you kept Emily for seven days in a basement._

"Why are you telling me this?" Alison asked.

Jessica cocked her head to the side. "Aren't you a journalist? Don't journalists want to write about me?"

"I'm not writing anything about you." Alison argued weakly.

"Oh you will," Jessica seethed, Alison felt the change in the air between them. It was all going wrong. Rapidly. "Also, I haven't told you the real reason I brought you here sweetie."

Alison's blood ran cold at the harsh, metallic sound of Jessica's voice. "I'm not writing about you. And stop calling Emily she doesn't want to come back here." She leaned over and pressed the stop button on her phone.

"Yes, you will write about me," Jessica hissed. "All journalists do. And then Emily will know, she will know that you have been here to see me and then she will come. She will come to see me soon." Alison thought she looked desperate.

Before Alison could reply the black metal door swung open. Her eyes widened at who was in front of her. She wanted to cry.

"Hello sweetheart," Jessica smiled wickedly.

_- x -_

"Get out of here, Ali," Emily said calmly. It was aimed at Alison but her eyes were focused solely on Jessica.

"Why? Me and her were just having a little chat about you sweetheart," Emily's eyes flitted over to Alison. She didn't know if she was mad at the blonde for coming or mad at Jessica for being able to manipulate Alison enough for her to do it. It was a little of both.

Alison looked at Emily apologetically before she rushed out of the room, Robin Andrews followed her and soon she was on the other side of the observation, glass looking in on them. Jessica had almost transformed herself. It looked like the dark circles under her eyes had vanished, she almost sparkled in Emily's presence.

"I knew you'd come," Jessica said, her voice dripping with something Emily couldn't identify. She didn't want to. "I knew you just needed a little prompting."

She remained standing until she leaned forward and put her palms onto the table. "I didn't come here for you, I came here for her."

Jessica smirked as she leaned forward, her voice barely a whisper. Emily could feel her warm breath on her cheek. "Did you think I was going to tell her about our little secret sweetheart?"

Emily's heart bobbed in her throat. She'd been played. Again. Jessica had no intentions of telling Alison about their relationship. If that were common knowledge then she would have absolutely no reason to ever come back there. Anger bubbled hotly at the surface of her skin. It had all clicked into place too late. Jessica had targeted Alison because she knew it would get to her.

Alison watched as Jessica leaned up, for a split second she thought Jessica was going to kiss Emily. The jealousy twisted angry red in her stomach until it clawed it's way up to her throat. She swallowed it down, thickly. There was no way Emily would ever allow that to happen and yet the brunette didn't seem surprised at the close proximity of the maniac.

"What the hell do you want with me Jessica?" Emily asked. "I've done this for too long. I want to forget about you. I want to forget that you even exist." She meant it too.

Jessica laughed fully. It was still hearty and it used to be music to Emily's ears. Now it sounded like a score for a horror film. "You'll never forget about me. And you know what I want, Emily. I want you."

Emily rolled her eyes. Jessica was crazy. She wondered how it had taken her so long to realise that. She leaned closer across the table, her lips brushed Jessica's ear. "I was wrong, you shouldn't have been brought here. You should have been sent straight to Radley. Locked up out of everyone's view, mine included."

She pushed herself off her palms on the table and walked towards the door, she turned back in Jessica's direction. "You really blew it this time, Jessica. I will never be back in this prison with anything to do with you."

"That's a lie," Jessica screamed, her shackles banged noisily against the table.

Emily shrugged before she buzzed the door open and walked through it. She didn't even want to turn around this time.

"Are you okay?" she asked Alison as she walked towards the blonde, Ali had her head resting against the glass of the one way window. Alison smiled weakly at the brunette, she had just witnessed something that she couldn't pin point.

There was something about Jessica and Emily's relationship that unsettled her, something about it that made her jealous. _Jealous of an incarcerated crazy person, that must be a first. _She knew Emily hadn't told her everything, now she wondered just how much Emily hadn't told her.

"You shouldn't have come here, Alison," Emily said as she ran her hand down the blonde's shoulder and arm, Alison shivered slightly at the touch before she pressed herself against Emily. The brunette tucked her arms tightly around her, and she was content to just lose herself in Emily for a few moments.

"She scares me," Alison mumbled against Emily's jacket.

"She scares a lot of people," Emily agreed as she held on tighter and swallowed thickly.

_- x -_

"You're very quiet tonight," Emily stated as she looked over at Alison who sat next to her on the couch. The blonde blinked at her before she looked away and stood up. Emily didn't quite understand what was happening.

"You're not telling me things," the blonde replied simply. Emily exhaled heavily. She had already told Alison that she couldn't tell her everything. She just wasn't ready and some things she didn't want to tell her at all. She wondered, stupidly, if she had been naïve to let anything at all happen between her and Alison.

"Ali, you know – " She was cut off when Alison held her hand up to silence her.

"Yeah, you can't tell me everything I get that. But you have to tell me some things. You're not even telling me that, I just realised today how much I'm in the dark with you and her." Emily watched the tears well in the blonde's eyes and her heart squeezed tightly in her chest.

She didn't want to hurt Ali and yet she knew that if she told her the whole truth she would hurt her. "There are some thing's I just can't tell you," Emily offered in reply, she watched as Alison shook her head wistfully.

"I care about you, Emily. Even though I've only known you a month I care. A lot." She could feel the emotion threatening to overflow. "But you need to give me something, I can't be in the dark about every singe thing, please."

"I don't want to hurt you, Ali."

"Then don't," Alison felt as the tears began to fall slowly down her face, she wasn't even embarrassed. "Just please help me understand things. She nearly kissed you today, in that room, I saw her. How do you think that made me feel?"

Emily felt like her heart was being squeezed by a vice grip, it was becoming tighter with every breath. It was like there was an elephant sitting on her chest depriving her of much needed oxygen. She sniffed back the tears, she couldn't remember anyone getting under her skin like Alison had and now she was going to lose her. She blinked and felt the hot track of tears find a path down her cheeks.

"Before she took me… I was sleeping with her."

* * *

><p><em>Dun dun dun! Ah cliffhanger I know and I'm sorry but at the same time I'm really not because I hope it leaves you all wanting more!<em>


	13. Beneath You're Beautiful

_Sorry for that cliffhanger but I think most of you liked it anyway so there we go haha. I've said it before but I will say it again I love how much you all love Jessica, I really didn't expect that. There's also a little Faking It reference in there for good measure. If you want to, and I love when you do, please leave me a review it's very appreciated!_

* * *

><p>Emily watched as Alison's lips parted, a small gasp floated between them and then there was nothing. There was no sound, and there was no immediate reaction. All of a sudden Emily's apartment looked different. It was smaller and darker. The air between them was denser. Emily stood in silence while Alison continued to scrutinise her. The blonde's tears weren't hysterical, they were simply full of confusion.<p>

"What?" Alison croaked, she stood with her hands hanging limply by her side.

Emily ran her hand through her hair before she pressed her palms to her eyes. She couldn't even look at Alison.

"You heard me correctly. You're very intuitive you know," Emily said after a few minutes as she brought her knees up to her chest, tears streamed down her face endlessly.

Alison didn't think she'd ever seen anyone so broken before, she didn't want to see it again. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, pooling gently at the surface before falling.

"We were together for a few weeks, before she took me, before I knew who she really was. It was all secretive, of course."

It was a relief to finally tell someone, to finally say it out loud even if she did scare Ali away, it was a relief. She wanted Alison, all of her. But she wanted them to be built on truth, not secret kisses and stolen moments in offices. There was part of her that couldn't even believe that the words were finally tumbling out of her mouth after all this time.

Alison reached down and tucked a strand of dark hair behind Emily's ear, the brunette, she noticed, couldn't look at her. "Me and Paige, we'd been together since high school, work was a massive strain on our relationship, and we agreed to end it mutually. It had come to a natural end for us." There was a brief pause as Emily breathed in heavily.

"I fell into Jessica's arms. We had things in common, she knew how I was feeling about the case, I just needed someone to understand. You don't understand what it was like for me, Ali." Emily shrugged before she wiped her eyes on her arm. Alison let the tears run carelessly down her face.

"I'd only split with Paige for three weeks before she took me, sometimes I think I deserved what happened to me for doing it. Three weeks isn't a long time to get over someone you spent years with. Part of me was and still is disgusted with myself but I just wasn't in love with Paige anymore. There was nothing left." Emily laughed sadly, more to herself than to Alison. The blonde's heart quenched in her chest.

Alison wiped her tears on her sleeve before she knelt in front of Emily. "So you knew Jessica before you broke up with Paige?"

"Yes but not for long, and nothing happened then. I would never cheat on someone. Me and Paige…we discussed, briefly, about trying again but," Emily had to stop as more tears rolled down her cheeks, she couldn't stop them. Her breath hiccuped in her throat.

"You made your mind up about leaving Paige for good when you met her didn't you? You knew something was going to happen with Jessica. There was no going back after meeting her."

"Absolutely," Emily admitted. Alison leaned forward and took both of Emily's hands in her own. Clasping them together tightly. She didn't know who was holding on more, her or Emily.

Alison didn't know what to say, there was nothing she could say. Nothing that could take away Emily's pain and that hurt her more than hearing Emily talk about another woman. How could anyone get their head around being taken by the person they were involved with?

"You weren't to know, Em," Alison croaked hoarsely.

Emily shook her head before she stood and walked slowly across the floor, opening the apartment door as her eyes focused back on the blonde. Alison thought she was going to ask her to leave, she'd understand. She'd understand if Emily didn't want to be with her but she wanted Emily to understand that she wanted to be with her anyway.

"I'm still a mess Alison and you shouldn't be involved in that, it's not fair on you. It's not what you signed up for. You should be happy, I want that for you. And what you said earlier about caring… I care too." The living room blurred in and out of focus with her tears. She imagined that she looked a complete mess.

Alison stood before she took a few steps towards Emily, the brunette flinched when Alison's hands reached around her neck, settling in their now familiar position. Alison could feel Emily shaking in her arms. She didn't want to let her go. It wasn't fair for a human being to go through the torment that Emily had.

She pressed her lips to the brunette's, savouring the taste that was unique to Emily, she was pretty sure both of their tears were mixed in with everything. It was messy and desperate and needed. Emily's hands clung tightly to her waist, neat nails dug into her skin underneath her top.

Emily nodded gently as Alison finally untangled herself. She'd known it was a risk to tell Alison everything, a calculated risk though, because she wanted the blonde to know the truth. She cared about her too much. She ran her finger down the blonde's cheek, it was wet with tears. Alison's blue eyes mirrored her own: complete affection and tenderness. Then the blonde swallowed thickly before she moved.

"It's okay Ali, I understand," she mumbled as Alison headed towards the door. Her footsteps were heavy on the floor, like they were filled with grief. She couldn't believe how under her skin Ali was, she couldn't look as the blonde left.

So she stood with her hands on her hips wincing slightly when the door shut over. The dull thud rendered the room silent. Tears ran down her face, sobs wracked her body. The pain physically hurt, more than Jessica had ever hurt her. Alison felt like a loss. Her lungs gasped for air and tears clogged her throat. She stood for a few minutes allowing the emotion to overcome her before she felt it.

Two arms wrapped around her waist, a head pressed against her back, tightly holding her in place. "I'm not going anywhere Em, I'm not going anywhere."

She stood for a moment, allowing Alison's arms to hold her in place. She allowed herself to just feel it all. All the guilt. All the emotion. All the regret. All the gut wrenching pain that rinsed it's way through her whole body. It felt good to feel it, she realised, it was better than side stepping it like she had been for months upon months. Pretending to be fine when everything was falling apart. When she was falling apart.

"I'm okay," Emily mumbled eventually, she could still feel Alison's head pressed tightly against her back, the dampness of the blonde's tears had fed through her t-shirt and onto her back. "I'm okay, Ali."

She felt as Emily turned in her arms, dark brown eyes looked down at her. A silent plea for Alison to never speak of that moment again, that moment where Emily had finally let everything come crumbling down around her like a pack of dominoes.

"It's okay, Em," she soothed softly as she ran her finger down the brunette's cheek before tracing it over Emily's jaw. She had felt the pull between them from the start, now it felt even stronger that the shroud of secrets had been removed. "I promise you, it's okay. I still want to be with you."

"I'm crazy. That's what some people think about me Ali and sometimes I wonder if they are right."

"Everyone is a little crazy." It earned a half smile from Emily and she wasted no time in tracing her thumb over the dimple that appeared on the brunette's cheek. Even with red eyes and messy hair Emily was utterly stunning. Alison realised then that she had spent years waiting on her Prince Charming, only to discover that her Prince was actually a Princess in the form of Emily Fields.

"I want to be with you too," Emily confirmed as she brought Alison into her chest, resting her chin on the blonde's head as she wrapped her arms around her. She felt as Alison's two hands found her shoulder blades. "But I will warn you, I'm not great at this relationship stuff."

Alison pulled back slightly but kept her hands on Emily. She needed the contact between them. "Neither am I, so we match. We can be a pair."

She was surprised when Emily leaned down to capture her mouth; the kiss was needy and hungry. "I wouldn't mind being a pair with you," Emily mumbled against her lips. She could still taste the slight saltiness of their tears mixed in with everything. She was pulled from her standing point towards the couch but she hesitated as Emily attempted to pull her down.

"I'm not going to break, Ali," Emily said as she tugged at the blonde's hand, she was glad when Alison finally relented and settled on top of her. She looked down as blue eyes stared intently up at her.

"I know you're wondering why I just told you what I did and I know you want to ask but won't, so I'll tell you. I like you, a lot and that's scary for me. But I don't want whatever we have to be built around my past." She closed her eyes and swallowed hastily as tears pricked the back of her eyes. She wouldn't cry. _Do not cry, not again._

"I know," Alison assured her, she felt Alison's warm palm against her cheek, and then the blonde's thumb absent-mindedly moved up and down on her skin. "You don't have to say anymore until you're ready, Em." Emily nodded against her hand.

Emily wrapped her arms around Alison's body as the blonde settled against her chest, she wondered if Alison could feel the erratic beating of her heart underneath her shirt. She probably could, it felt like it was going hell for leather. She wasn't sure where she ended and Alison began.

Alison sighed as she felt Emily's arms wrap around her. Everyone had exes, that was just part of life. Emily's ex just happened to be a beautiful serial killer. They'd be okay though she could feel it. They'd have their challenges, she knew that, but they'd be okay. She could feel it in Emily's strong heartbeat underneath her ear and the way the brunette's arms wrapped around her like nothing else mattered.

"I just want to sleep here tonight," Alison murmured, her sore, tired eyes succumbing to sleep.

"Me too."

There were some moments in life that Emily would never forget. Could never forget. She had a feeling that this was one of them.

_- x -_

Emily reluctantly blinked her eyes open. The soreness of them from crying confirmed that nothing had been a dream. It had been reality. She was immediately aware of the fact that Alison was no longer on top of her, she missed the weight and the contact and the heat. Her apartment was quiet, too quiet. She stared at the ceiling for a moment in the hope that she would hear the shower running or some sort of movement in the kitchen. There was nothing.

She leaned up and peered over the couch towards the kitchen, there was no evidence that Alison had ever been in her apartment. There was no jacket, no shoes, no nothing. Her stomach rolled as she lay back down. She shivered slightly as she remembered the feeling of Alison against her, pressed tightly against her body, legs and all tangled up.

There was no way Alison would say what she had last night and then leave without a word. She peered over the couch again and scanned for a note, there was no note either. Resigned, she stood and walked gingerly towards the kitchen, her muscles ached in protest. And then she saw it. A white napkin on the floor, cursive writing adorned the front of it. She picked it up and read it, smiling as she did.

_Em, gone for coffee and breakfast. I know you have cereal but I'm pretty sure it's out of date and I'm not willing to take that chance by eating it. I hope you're still asleep when I get back but if not I hope you get this note – Alison x_

Emily sat back on the couch, her socked feet propped up on the coffee table as she turned the TV on. The news channel showed that it was just after nine in the morning. Her mouth watered at the thought of breakfast and coffee, a headache brewed at the base of her skull, the kind of headache a person only got after crying excessively. She resisted the urge to get up and get a Vicodin.

"I got your note," Emily said as Alison walked through the door, she had two coffees and a brown paper bag of food tucked under her arm. The smell of the food that she had bought filtered through her apartment. She had a feeling that Alison had brought back her favourite: pancakes and bacon.

The blonde's cheeks and nose were red, as were her hands. "Is it cold outside or something?" Emily joked as she stood up and walked over towards the kitchen were Alison had set everything down.

"Why? What gave it away?" Alison asked with a smirk as she turned in Emily's direction, leaning up to press a gentle kiss on the brunette's cheek. She smiled when Emily turned her head and allowed her to kiss the brunette fully on the lips.

"Your nose was cold against me," Emily replied easily as she lifted her coffee and opened the bag. She smiled fully when she saw that it was in fact pancakes and bacon. Her stomach grumbled in happiness.

They ate in relative silence on the couch, Alison had caught Emily looking at her a few times out the corner of her eye. She found it quite endearing. "Can I ask you something?" she dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin as she turned her head in Emily's direction.

Emily nodded, she'd come this far with Alison so she could handle a few more truthful questions that she knew were coming her way. "Sure."

"Is Hanna an ex?" Emily smiled, she knew Alison had thought that when they had met.

"No. We fooled around when we were teenagers a little but who doesn't?"

"Did you love her Emily?" Emily knew who she meant immediately, she sat her coffee on the coffee table before she returned her full attention back onto Alison. "I know I said you could talk when you are ready, and you can, but it was bugging me and I need to know either way."

Emily understood it, if it was the other way around she would want to know too. "No, I never loved her." She sucked in a breath, held it for a minute, let it out slowly and then began to talk. She'd never described her relationship with Jessica to anyone; she'd never needed to.

"My relationship, if you could call it that, with Jessica was different to anything I had had before, I'd only had two relationships before that. Maya and Paige, and Maya was when I was still a teenager. She was my first girlfriend. Anyway, my relationship with Jessica was built on lust, not love. Complete lust and she loved proving it to me."

* * *

><p><em>Emily sits up and<em> _places her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor that's in Jessica's bedroom._

_"Emily, if I asked you to tie me up, would you do it?"_

_Emily pulls away and looks down at Jessica, unsure if she has heard the brunette properly. Jessica arches an eyebrow at her gamely and her green eyes twinkle in Emily's direction._

_"I don't want to tie you up, Jessica," she replies._

_Jessica tilts her head slightly. "Sure, but you've done a lot of things recently that you never thought you'd do, this could be another thing," she argues. She lowers her chin and flutters her long eyelashes at Emily. "I'd make it fun, it's just a fantasy of mine. Lots of people enjoy playing games in bed."_

_Emily looks straight back at her. "I'm leaving now before you pull out a ski mask or something." It's meant as a joke and Jessica smiles at it._

_"Think about it," she says. She's naked as she lies back on the bed and wraps her hands around the bedposts, arching her back as a rough moan escapes her mouth. Emily feels a low twitch in her stomach._

_"I have to go now, Jessica." She says as she reaches for her white shirt that's been thrown on the floor._

_Jessica lets go of the bedposts and crawls forward towards Emily on the bed. "You should stay longer," she suggests, and it's tempting. It's so tempting for Emily._

_"I can't," she replies. "I have to go to work and people are waiting on me." She sighs and buttons up her shirt, the rope of guilt knots in her stomach, a tangled mess of lies and guilt and shame. It crushes her chest every time she leaves Jessica's house._

_"I have a psycho to catch in case you've forgotten."_

_Jessica shakes her head. "No, I didn't forget sweetheart. Just promise me you'll think about it?"_

_Emily shakes her head mockingly. "Sure, I'll think about it."_

* * *

><p>Emily leaned over for the coffee on the coffee table, she swirled it around in the paper container before she took another sip. "My emotional life was focused on my work, and more specifically that case. It consumed me, I needed to catch… well her. I just didn't know that at the time."<p>

Alison watched as she finished the coffee. "So you didn't love her at all?"

Emily shook her head before she reached out and took Alison's hand gently in her own. "No, I didn't love her, Ali. Not even at the beginning and especially not at the end. Plus, I don't think she would have much use for love. From anyone for that matter."

"How did you know where I was when I was with her at the prison?"

"I get notified if Jessica gets any visitors. Usually it's cops or lawyers. She doesn't have any family so I put my name forward at the beginning," there was an edge to her voice, the anger came back like an old familiar friend.

Alison nodded her understanding as she looked down at their hands that were linked neatly together. "How do you feel about having dinner with my parents tonight? My Mom called me when I was out and invited us both, granted I live there but still. It'll just be a casual thing, no pressure."

Emily shifted awkwardly in her position. If Alison could handle last night then she could handle a dinner. "Yeah, I can do that." She felt Alison squeeze her hand gently before the blonde leaned over and kissed her.

_- x -_

Emily palmed the bottle of wine in her hand, she didn't even know if it would be any use but she knew Alison liked white wine and that would have to do. She shifted her weight on her feet as the front door finally swung open. Alison looked slightly surprised to see her, it was like she had been waiting for Emily to call it off. She watched as Alison's blue eyes roamed over her.

"Do I look okay?" she asked.

Alison smiled before she pulled at the collar of Emily's leather jacket. "You look just fine, better than fine, but you better come in, the food is in here." She side stepped and allowed Emily to enter first before she tugged on the brunette's free hand. When Emily turned around she was met with Alison's lips on her own. "I'm glad you came, Em."

"So am I. I don't usually get greeted for dinner in that way. Oh and I brought wine." Alison smiled as she took the wine and then lead her into the living room.

Emily stood at the window in Alison's living room with a soda in her hand. The carpet had changed since she had last been there, but on the whole, it was the exact same. It still had that homely feel about it, there was even a homely smell to Alison's house. She needed that in her apartment. She curled her fingers around her phone in her pocket and squeezed. She was doing fine.

"How was the traffic?" Alison's Dad, Kenneth asked. Emily wondered if Alison and her Mom had sent him over to talk to her while they finished dinner in the kitchen. _Go over there and make chit chat with the semi famous awkward detective who's now our guest. _Even now, it still took a bit of getting used to, the fact that people looked and spoke to her differently.

"It was fine," Emily answered with a small shrug and a smile, "the same as every other day in Rosewood." She squeezed her phone again because that was a lie.

The traffic had been shitty, but she couldn't be bothered getting into a conversation about the traffic in Rosewood. It was almost as bad as when people spoke to her about the weather like she cared. It was like people had topic of conversation filters to stop them from asking about Jessica. The weather and the traffic were safe, boring bets.

Emily saw Kenneth's face light up and then turned her head to see Alison and her Mom coming towards them from the kitchen. Alison was wearing a white chef's apron, across it was written '_Kiss The Cook' _with a picture of red lips underneath it. She smiled to herself because she was going to get to kiss the cook. Alison came and stood by her, their arms brushed together.

"Mac and cheese okay for you Emily?" Alison's Mom, Jessica asked. _Forget about her name being Jessica too, she's nothing like the Jessica you know. _Emily nodded enthusiastically, it wouldn't be as good as her Mom's, she knew that but it would be good nonetheless. Home cooking always was.

Kenneth reached to put his arm around Jessica's waist but she gave him a hardened look and he pretended to do something else with his arm. _No obvious public displays of affection in front of our new guest, she may feel awkward and we don't want that. _Alison knew what Emily was thinking as the brunette smiled down at her.

"Emily says the traffic was okay tonight," Kenneth said. He was tall and a bit gangly, with silver hair that was receding rapidly. He looked like a college professor, Emily could see Alison's resemblance more to her Mom than to her Dad.

Alison's Mom gave Emily a knowing smile. "Really?" she said. "At this time of the evening? That would be a first for Rosewood." There was a ping in the background and both Alison and her Mom turned towards it. "Dinner will be set in a few minutes." Alison squeezed her arm before she followed her Mom back into the kitchen.

"So," Kenneth said as he ambled awkwardly on his feet.

Emily sighed, it would be better to get it over with now. "You can ask about her, it's okay." He looked up at her like he had been caught doing something wrong. "I know you want to, everyone wants to."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it – " Alison's Dad hesitated, his cheeks glowed red, "I didn't mean for it to be so obvious." He glanced down at the carpet before he looked back up at her. "Sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay, it's only human nature to be curious, Kenneth."

"You're lucky, you know, to be alive."

_Lucky. _Emily's mind flitted to Alison, who was only a few feet away in the other room. She was lucky. "I am, yes." She squeezed her phone again, it was becoming a nervous tic. That's all she needed. She released her grip on it in her pocket.

"What's she like?"

Emily smiled at his honesty, most people skirted around it. He got straight to the point, she liked that. She would rather people be like that with her.

Emily stepped forward slightly, "What's she like?" she repeated. She pondered his question before she tilted her head. "She's a beautiful, sadistic serial killer and if you ever come within a hundred feet of her run. Run in the opposite direction and as fast as you can."

"I've read about you," Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes, there wasn't anyone in Rosewood who hadn't read about her. "But you're different to what I expected," Kenneth admitted, "I like you already and you can call me Ken, I have a feeling we will be seeing more of you but hopefully for the right reasons."

Emily smiled. "I hope so too."

"Dinners ready," Alison called.

Ken motioned with his hand. "After you, Emily." Emily liked him already, she liked Alison's parents already.

_- x -_

"Do your parents still live around here?" Jessica asked as they all sat in the living room. Alison was pressed against her on the couch, Kenneth and Jessica sat across from them on the other couch. It was almost normal, she imagined that this is what normal people did every day, she couldn't remember the last time she had done it.

"No, they actually live in Texas. But they are coming for Thanksgiving, we always spend it together," Emily could see Alison looking at her from the corner of her eye.

Last Thanksgiving had been a disaster, Emily had only been out the hospital a matter of weeks and she had not been in the mood to celebrate being thankful for anything or anyone.

"That sounds lovely," Jessica smiled as she brought the glass of wine to her lips. Obviously Emily had picked wisely since the bottle was empty, shared between Alison and her Mom. She looked at her watch, it was nearing ten in the evening.

"I actually have to make a move, I'm up early for work in the morning," Emily stated as she scooted forward to the edge of the couch, she leaned over and placed her soda can on the coaster that was on the coffee table.

Ken stood before he extended his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Emily," he said as he gave her a firm handshake, she nodded in his direction before she let go of his hand.

"We will definitely have to do this again some time, I hope my cooking was okay for you," Jessica laughed. Emily smiled at her too. The cooking, as expected, had been very good.

"It was excellent, nothing beats home cooking," Emily replied truthfully.

"I'll walk you to the door," Alison said as they exited the living and made the short walk towards the front door, she could feel the cold air seeping through the bottom of it.

"I had a good time tonight and your parents are lovely," Emily admitted as she reached for the door handle, she settled her hand on it as she looked at Alison who was by her side. "It was nice to do something normal for a change."

"I didn't push you too far too quickly?" Alison asked as she placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Especially after last night."

Emily shook her head. "I wouldn't be here if that was the case. I will call you before bed?"

Alison smiled before she nodded. She wrapped her arms around Emily's neck before she pressed her lips onto the brunette's; she felt Emily's hands attach themselves to her waist. Alison was consumed by the heat of Emily's mouth and tongue against her own, Emily kissed her like she was the only person in the world who mattered. The kind of kiss that left butterflies in your stomach for hours after it.

_- x -_

Emily's brow furrowed as she entered her apartment and flicked the light on. The lack of personality in it was excruciatingly painful. She tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter before she threw her jacket over the couch. She looked around and decided that it would be the last time she'd see her apartment like that. It needed a change. She pulled out her phone and dialled a familiar number.

"Hi," Paige greeted her, "I didn't expect you to call at this time, is everything okay?" Emily considered the question carefully.

"I… I wanted to tell you first that I'm kind of seeing someone." Emily said, she'd found out Paige had been seeing someone two months back and it seemed only fair that she return the favour of letting her know first. She'd kept it to herself though, Paige's business was her own, Emily didn't want her problems to extend to Paige, plus her and Paige still got on really well. She wanted to keep it that way.

"Who is it?" Paige answered, Emily thought she sounded happy. Happy that Emily was finally starting to move on with her life.

"You already know her actually."

"Alison?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause on the line. "I'm happy for you, Em. One quick question though. She's not a raging blonde psychopath is she?"

Emily laughed softly. "No, not that I know of."

"I think this is a big step forward for you. And I really am happy for you, Em, you deserve this."

"Thanks," Emily said, and she meant it. "One last thing, I need the key for our storage unit, well my storage unit really."

"Okay, I'm guessing you are finally going to empty it?"

Emily smiled. "Yeah, I need to give my apartment a complete revamp, I need some of my old stuff back. It's time I started over and now seems as good a time as any."

She couldn't see Paige but Emily could tell that she was smiling. "You can come over and get the key whenever you like, Emily. Are you really done with her though?"

Emily knew who she meant and she hesitated for only a few seconds. "Yeah, I think so this time."

"Good. Come and get the key whenever you want then."

_- x -_

It was twelve twenty two when Alison crawled into her bed. Her own bed, not Emily's. She was lying in her bed by herself, feeling a little lonely and more than a little depressed about not being in bed with Emily. Emily hadn't called yet. It was a vicious circle, she wanted to spend more time with Emily but she wanted to make sure that she wasn't suffocating the brunette. She wondered if Emily felt the same.

Then the self-doubt crept in and she wondered if Emily felt the opposite. Maybe Emily would want space and time and wouldn't want to be with her anymore considering what had transpired over the last day or so. No Emily wouldn't do that to her, she wasn't calculating enough for that. If Emily didn't want her she would say. She couldn't remember herself ever caring that much about a guy.

Alison was mulling the implications of Emily not wanting her when her phone sprang into life, the persistent ringing was enough to give anyone a headache. She grabbed her phone from her bed side table and glanced quickly at the called ID to make sure that it was Emily. It was.

"Hi," she answered quietly as she pressed the phone to her ear. She leaned over and clicked her lamp off, her room was plunged into darkness and she buried herself under the duvet.

"Are you okay? You sound a bit weird?" Emily replied. Alison shook her head, she was so obvious it was embarrassing.

"I was just thinking, that's all," Alison admitted.

"About what?"

"Us," she said it before it even had time to register in her brain. Then she cringed at what it insinuated between them. And then she realised that she didn't care because she wanted them to be an us.

"What about us?" Emily asked.

"I just, I don't know, Em. I'm worried you're going to change your mind and not want to spend time with me anymore and I didn't like it when I thought about that scenario."

She heard Emily sigh down the phone. "That's not going to happen, Ali. I actually just told Paige about us actually."

"Seriously?" Alison inquired. She grinned like a fool in the dark.

"Yes, I told her I was sort of seeing someone."

Alison laughed. "Sort of?"

"Yeah, I didn't really know what to say since we haven't discussed it properly and we really should have spoken about it in person, not over the phone at thirty minutes past midnight."

Alison had to agree, this was a conversation that was needed face to face but she didn't care, she was just glad that it was happening. "I didn't expect you to tell anyone yet," Alison admitted.

There was a brief pause on the phone before Emily cleared her throat. "I told you, I didn't want us to be built on lies I've had enough of that. I hope that's okay?"

"That's more than okay. So, you do want to see more of this person that you're sort of seeing?" Alison asked, more for reassurance than anything else. She was bordering on ridiculous.

This time it was Emily's turn to laugh. "Definitely. Actually, I think she should meet me tomorrow morning before work for coffee and breakfast. Say The Brew at seven thirty?"

"I think that sounds good to her, it's a date, Em."


	14. One Day Like This

_Over 500 reviews for only 13 chapters is insane, like seriously wow. It's super awesome and super humbling and I wouldn't have believed a story like this would have gotten that many in total so yeah the Emison fandom is just amazing on a whole. A reviewer asked if I'd marry them and just write stories for them, sure I have no other proposals right now haha. Anyway, have a great day/night and enjoy the chapter! If you want to be awesome, and most of you already are, then leave me a wee review :)._

_P.s Emily's music taste in this chapter is my own and I make no apologies for that haha._

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><p>Emily stood at her old front door with the keys in her hand. Since her and Paige had separated Paige had never asked for the house key back and Emily had never offered it. It had stayed on her key ring with her spare set of car keys. She'd been in the dregs of her recovery when she'd left this house, she'd forced herself into leaving.<p>

It was much easier for her to be alone back then.

She slipped the key off the key ring and ran her finger slowly over the teeth of it, feeling the grooves, before she leaned across and pressed the door bell. The chime of it struck a familiar chord in her. She'd stayed in the house for almost three years and she knew it inside out. Yet she was glad she didn't live there anymore, it was a constant reminder of the past and she couldn't live in the past anymore.

She craned her head around the neighbourhood, she could already hear the houses opposite bursting with gossip. _You know that cop Emily Fields? I saw her today outside her old home maybe her and Paige are getting back together. _Unless the neighbours had already seen Paige's new girlfriend. _I saw Emily today at the front door, I wonder if she's wanting to get back together? Well she's too late because I've seen another woman coming out of that house in the mornings._

Yeah, she was glad she lived in an apartment block now. She shifted on her feet as the late October cold bit into her skin through her jacket, on the plus side she didn't think it was going to rain any time soon.

"Hi," Paige greeted her with a smile as she opened the door. "You want to come in?" Emily nodded before she stepped past Paige and into the hall.

There was a lamp on in the hall way and it threw a warm half circle of light across the place. It had been decorated since the last time she had been there, the mat at the bottom of the stairs was still there though. She used to kick her shoes off there every night before she went upstairs. A photograph of Paige and her parents sat on the hall table, Emily had taken it but she couldn't remember when or where it had been taken.

"Did you get everything emptied out of the storage unit?" Paige asked as she shut the door, the heat of the house warmed Emily inside and out.

"I did, my apartment resembles something half decent now," Emily answered as she continued to look around. It was completely foreign and yet exactly the same all in one.

"Let me guess, the first thing you did was get Linn sorted?" Paige teased.

Emily smiled. Sometimes she forgot that she had spent years of her life with Paige. "Definitely, you know how much I love Linn. She's all ready to go."

Emily had bought the Linn Sondek LP12 when she was twenty-one. It was a replica of her Dad's. Black ash in colour and absolutely stunning. At the heart of the Sondek LP12 was Linn's patented low-noise, single-point bearing. The advanced yet simple bearing design ensured the smooth motion of the turntable and eliminated noise to ensure that all you could hear was the music.

The combination of the precision-engineered components created a turntable with an unequalled ability to provide a pitch accurate, faithful reproduction of her cherished vinyl collection. She'd kept it in the top room of the house which was her room to sit and listen to her music as she pleased. Sometimes Paige joined her if she was home.

"Does Alison know about your obsessive vinyl collection yet?"

Emily shook her head. "No, not yet but she hasn't been over to the apartment since I've emptied the storage unit. She will love it and my thirty pristine LP albums." Emily laughed, it was nice to talk about normal things again with Paige. It had been too long.

"Anyway, I have to go, me and Alison are going out for dinner," Emily said as she had one last look around the hallway. "Oh and here is the spare key, it's been on my key ring. I think it's time I gave it back to you."

Paige reached out and took it from her hand and then copied Emily by running her fingers over the teeth of it. "If you ever need a friend Emily, you know where I am right?"

Emily did know, so she nodded her head and gave a polite smile before she headed towards the door. "Thank you."

_- x -_

Alison pulled at the hips of her dress outside Emily's apartment. She'd chosen a black strapless one, the lining was just a hint too snug but she assumed Emily would appreciate it in some form. Because of the cold she'd added a cream blazer that she buttoned in the middle. It was a female fantasy cliché: being whisked off for a romantic meal and getting dressed up like Cinderella. She wasn't bothered about the lack of Prince Charming when Emily opened the door.

Emily smiled when she saw Alison at the door. She looked, as always, beautiful. "You look amazing." She'd done it this time, she'd been able to get the words by her throat. It was more progress.

"Wow Em, look at this place, it's so different," Alison observed as she looked around Emily's living room. "And you look amazing too for that matter." Emily rolled her eyes at the compliment.

The apartment actually had a personality now, it didn't look as if no one stayed there. There was a LP turntable and speakers in the corner, it looked very well taken care off. A black-checkered seat sat under the window. The handset phone sat on a small table next to a photograph in a silver frame, Ali imagined the people in the picture with Emily were her parents. The bookcase even had an array of books. She'd check them out later.

"Since I'm going all out," Emily joked as she picked up the apartment keys, "I thought we could take a cab, I fancy having a beer and I don't want to drink and drive."

"That sounds like a plan, but at some point you are going to show me which books you have and how that turntable sounds right?"

"Definitely," Emily replied as she motioned with her hand to let Alison out first before she closed the door behind them.

Despite it being Thursday evening, the streets of Philly were still crowded. Alison had wasted no time in linking their fingers together, doing it as soon as Emily had paid for the cab. Emily was glad, it saved her from stuttering like an idiot.

"I'm starving," Alison commented as they walked lazily a long the sidewalk.

Emily laughed softly, usually it was her who was complaining about being hungry. "Me too. I'm definitely getting pizza tonight. I've been craving it all day."

They stopped when they came to a young musician who was seated on the pavement, his back was against the brick wall of an empty building. He was playing a polished violin that reflected the streetlight. A hand written sign next to him identified him as a _High School Dropout. _They listened for a few seconds as Emily dropped a few dollar bills into the empty violin case before they walked on.

"You're in a good mood, Em."

"Well why not? Despite the cold, it's turned out a lovely night." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "And I'm with a lovely woman. Plus he was a good player," she added trying to hide her red cheeks.

They stopped outside Mario's, the place was busy but not too busy that people were standing around waiting for tables. Emily's mouth watered at the smell, she wasn't just craving pizza now, she needed it.

"Thank you for this," Alison said as glanced around before she leaned up to kiss Emily gently. Their cold lips brushing softly together.

"You're welcome but I need pizza and beer so lets eat."

_- x -_

It was close to eleven when Emily and Alison arrived back at Emily's apartment, they weren't drunk but there was enough of a buzz between them to make every little thing hysterically funny. By the time Emily had closed and locked the door behind them Alison already had her heels off. Both of them propped against the back of the couch.

"Do you want a glass of wine? One last one before bed?" Emily called from the kitchen, her head ducked into the fridge to grab herself a beer.

"Yep," Alison called as she walked over to the bookshelf. She traced her finger over several of them. Paulo Coelho's _The Alchemist_, JD Salinger's _Catcher in the Rye_, Arthur Miller's _A View From The Bridge_ and _The Four Agreements_ from Don Miguel Ruiz.

Alison was impressed. She didn't know what kind of books she expected Emily to enjoy reading but she had to admit it wasn't this.

"Here," Emily said as she stood behind her.

Alison turned to grab the glass before her attention returned to the bookcase. She wondered if Emily had read every one of them or if they had just been recommendation decorations, there were a few at the bottom but she couldn't be bothered getting on the floor to read their titles.

"Your collections are impressive. I love all your vinyl LP's. I remember my Dad having them when I was young," Alison said as she flicked through the thirty albums Emily had. Alison imagined that the whole music system had cost Emily a small fortune.

"My Dad got me into it too, he had one and I just loved the sound off it. I'd let you hear but it's pretty loud and I don't want a bad name as a neighbour so the iPod in my bedroom will have to do," Emily joked as she took a swig of her beer. "Oh and did you say something about not having clothes to stay here?"

Alison nodded as she brought the glass to her mouth, there was a faint pink stain of her lips on the glass. She hadn't been expecting to stay over but she'd been pleasantly surprised when Emily had suggested it.

"Well there are spare t-shirts and stuff in my closet if you want to pick what you want?"

"That's fine, I will do it now."

She turned and headed towards Emily's bedroom with her glass of wine. Emily watched her, the sway of Alison's hips in her dress was almost magical. Maybe she could have a normal relationship after all. So far, so good.

Emily left it ten minutes before she walked back into the kitchen, the light bathed the room in a warm glow and she opened the fridge to pick out another beer. A few minutes later she entered her bedroom to find Alison scrolling through her iPod. The blonde was wearing a pair of her plaid bottoms and one of her old Nike t-shirts. The bottoms hung low on her hips while the top hung loose on her top half.

"Fleetwood Mac? ZZ Top? The Beach Boys?" the blonde asked hesitantly as she continued to scroll. "You have a very varied choice of music Em, I'm going from Classic Rock to the Beach Boys."

"Sounds like someone needs to spread their wings in their music taste," Emily replied as she stood behind Alison so she could see the screen.

She was aware of how close they were and decided to bite the bullet. She placed her chin on the blonde's shoulder as Alison's fingers worked quickly on the iPod.

Alison placed the iPod on the docking station before hitting shuffle. She wasn't sure if she would regret it or not, Emily's music taste was vast and varied in comparison to her own.

"I saw a few things in your wardrobe that I think should be mine for when I come over. I can tell you don't wear half of the things in there anyway." Alison took a sip of her wine before she went back into the closet. It would be much easier for her to have some bed clothes in Emily's apartment.

Emily retreated to the bed while Alison hummed along to Sky Ferreira's _Lost in my Bedroom_. Emily thought the song was appropriate, she felt lost in her own bedroom because it wasn't just her anymore. That was still taking a bit of getting used to in her mind.

"Can I use this t-shirt?" Alison asked as she poked her head out the closet door. It was a white Adidas t-shirt with a pair of red sneakers on them, Emily couldn't remember the last time she had worn it so she nodded in Alison's direction. She wondered when this step in their relationship had happened. Alison was now wanting to wear her clothes to bed.

The next twenty minutes was spent with Alison picking out her new bed clothes for Emily's apartment and skipping songs she didn't like on Emily's iPod, and there were a fair few. Emily grabbed her t-shirt and shorts before she headed towards the bathroom.

"Be back in a sec, Ali." She heard a muffled reply from her closet as she rounded the door and walked towards the bathroom.

Alison stood as she sorted the clothes she'd picked, she was satisfied with her choices, she'd still bring her own sometimes but it was good to have a back up plan. The music pulsed through the speakers and she thought it sounded like a string quartet, a quick glance at the screen confirmed it was Elbow – _One Day Like This. _She'd never heard it before but she liked it already.

"I love this song," Emily stated as she re entered her bedroom.

"Want to dance?" Alison asked, her eyebrows arched in a challenge.

"I can't dance," Emily replied instantaneously.

Alison just shrugged, "Good, neither can I."

She didn't miss a beat as she took possession of Emily's hand. They danced fluidly, Emily leading Alison across the hardwood floor of her bedroom, Alison could feel the brunette's hand pressed tightly against her lower back.

The song was full of violin riffs as a male voice sang to them, '_Using words I never say, I can only think it must be love, oh anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day,' _Emily spun Alison around before bringing the blonde back into her chest, '_Yeah, lying with you half awake, stumbling over what to say, oh anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day.'_

Laughing softly Alison remained against Emily's chest until the song finished, Emily felt Alison pull back away from her. Blue eyes and rosy cheeks looked back up at her until Alison turned to lift her wine glass. Emily felt a twinge of sadness at the lack of contact between them. _  
><em>  
>For once, without hesitation, Emily reached her hand out and wrapped her fingers around Alison's wrist, bringing the blonde back towards her. She delicately threaded her hand around Alison's neck and pulled the blonde's mouth to her own. Alison's hand clasped the side of Emily's face, her thumb running across the brunette's jaw. All Alison was aware of was the slick, wet heat as Emily's mouth moved expertly against her own.<p>

She pushed against Emily, aiming for the bed but the brunette spun them around and before she knew it, it was her knees pressed against the bed. She scrambled on her back further onto the bed as Emily hovered above her, she ran her hands up Emily's slim waist before she settled them on the brunette's shoulders. Her breath came in gulps.

"What was that for?"

"I just really wanted to kiss you," Emily replied before she pressed her lips against Alison's again, she could feel the blonde's hand fist in material of her t-shirt, pressing against her lower back.

Alison groaned into the kiss, her back arched against the bed and every cell in her body begged her to lose herself in Emily. She never imagined a kiss could completely undo her, the taste of Emily's mouth on her own and the weight of the brunette was something else. It tested the unfamiliar boundary in their relationship, she was acutely aware that they'd never even come close to this type of kiss.

Emily begged her hand to stop shaking as she ran her hand up the blonde's front, her palm cradled Alison's firm breast and she could feel Alison moan into her mouth. She wasn't wearing a bra. She pulled away gently to catch her breath, her heart felt like was hammering against her ribs.

"Holy shit," she mumbled like a twelve year old.

"We don't have to go any further, Em," Alison said as she reached her hand up to place her hand on Emily's cheek, Emily nodded down at the blonde whose skin was blushing, her expression glowing. She nodded again to herself as she leaned down to place a soft kiss onto Alison's nose before she rolled over onto her back.

Alison adjusted her head as Emily stretched her arm out. Both of them stared at the ceiling as their breathing got back to normal, Alison couldn't concentrate because of the butterflies in her stomach. She was twenty-six year old woman with a professional job and a promising career and yet she felt like she was sixteen.

"I want to show you something," Emily mumbled as she shifted her position on the bed.

Alison propped herself up on her elbows as Emily pulled at her t-shirt, she wasn't exactly sure what Emily was doing until she saw the faint pink cursive indent on the brunette's breast.

"Her love heart." It wasn't even a question.

"Yeah," Emily answered sheepishly, "I have one too."

The silence between them hung in the air. The only noise Emily could hear was the blood pumping through her ears. Apart from her parents, Hanna, Spencer, Toby and Paige, no one knew she had it. There had been rumours, of course, but no one had ever confirmed them and here she was showing Alison. The blonde's eyes stared at it curiously.

She let go of her t-shirt before Alison reached over, her index finger tracing the sensitive pink skin that was shaped as a love heart. The sudden warm pressure on the tender tissue made Emily jump. Alison pulled her head away and looked up at her.

"It doesn't matter to me, Emily, it doesn't change anything."

"I'm glad," Emily said as Alison leaned up to kiss her, she could feel the heat of Alison's tongue ripple through her body and then slowly, deliciously, the blonde placed a kiss on her neck before settling back into her position in the crook of her arm.

_- x -_

The first thing Alison was aware of was a foot being kicked harshly against the back of her leg, then the bed shook and Alison blinked her eyes open hastily. The darkness was over powering and her eyes struggled to adjust to the lack of light. She could hear it now, small grunts coming from behind her as another blow came to her leg.

She winced and turned over as Emily moved again, an arm swung out and missed Alison by inches. The brunette's face was contorted in pain and Alison could see the sheen of sweat that coated her skin. She was having a nightmare or at least a disturbing kind of dream, it didn't take two guesses as to who the focus of the dream might be.

"Em," she nudged the brunette gently as she strained into the darkness, she could see Emily's eyes scrunch, her back pushing against the mattress underneath her. It was hard not to feel pity but she knew Emily wouldn't want that. "Em," she repeated louder.

"No," Emily mumbled as she shook her head frantically. Her body moved in tandem. "No."

"Em, you need to wake up," she gripped the brunette's arm as it swung around in her direction again. She moved her arm to her shoulder and shook Emily gently in the hope that she would wake up. "Emily, babe, you need to wake up now. Come on, it's okay," her voice was firm this time.

Emily stopped twisting underneath her, she could feel the sweat on the hand that was holding onto the shoulder of Emily's t-shirt. She moved her hand down and found the rest of the t-shirt soaked in sweat.

"Em, it's okay, it's not real it's just a dream," she soothed. Even in the darkness she could see the brunette's eyes blink open.

"W – what happened?" Emily croaked. She could feel a slickness underneath her, clinging to her body. It took her a second to realise that the slickness came from her t-shirt and what she could feel was sweat.

"You had a nightmare," Alison replied gently as she leaned over and clicked the lamp on. She could see the full extent of it now, the t-shirt clung to Emily's body like it was a second skin, her hair was messy from where she had been twisting around and her face was pale like the colour had drained out of her body. Beads of sweat danced down from her hairline.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Ali," Emily muttered as she threw the duvet back and got out of bed. "I'm so sorry."

Alison's brows knitted together. "You don't have to be sorry, it was just a dream." She got on her knees before she inched forward on the bed in touching distance to where Emily was standing. "Are you okay?" she reached out and took Emily's hand on her own, her thumb skimmed the back of a sticky hand.

Emily nodded as she ran her right hand through her hair. She twisted their fingers together as she looked down at Alison. "I'm okay." She didn't know who she needed to reassure: her or Alison.

"Do you want to stay up? I will come through and sit with you if you want. Or we can just lay here?"

Emily shook her head. "No. I actually feel tired, I never feel tired but I do. You help me sleep, even with the light off," she looked away as her admission registered with Alison. "I just want to get changed and then I will come back into bed."

She closed the lid on the toilet and sat on it. Her t-shirt clung to her with sweat and her heart pounded in her chest. It hadn't been a nightmare in one sense, it had been a memory. She could remember the dream vividly. But she reasoned that any memory of Jessica could probably be categorized as a nightmare.

It had been the last time they had been together, more accurately, the night before she took Emily. The last night they had had sex. Emily wondered if Jessica's efforts with her and for her had been driven by her ego or just a need to demonstrate the power she had over everyone. Jessica had been holding Rosewood to ransom.

She smiled bitterly to herself as the memory of that night played out in her mind. Her and Toby had been working late to try and get more leads on the case, it took most of the night and they never got any further forward. That was the story of their lives back then.

Emily had gotten to Jessica's house just after one in the morning, she was hot and tired, her shirt stuck to her under her jacket because of the amount of hours she had spent in it. Cool air and the unmistakable scent of Jessica had hit her straight in the face when she had opened the door. The lights were low and there was background music on that Emily didn't recognise.

Jessica was leaning against the wall in the hall way, wearing just a nightgown, her naked body was silhouetted by the light shining from behind the open kitchen door. Emily used to think that what Shakespeare was to tragedy and Mona Lisa was to art, Jessica was to sex. A complete and utter genius. A Hall of Famer.

Every time had been great. That last time had been the best. Knowing what came next Emily wondered if Jessica had intended it as some sort of sick farewell gift. Something to remember and regret after Jessica was finished with her. If so, she supposed that it had worked.

In her dream though she already knew what came next and she was trying to claw her way out of the house.

"Em, are you okay in there?"

Alison's voice brought her out of her walk down memory lane. Alison. She couldn't tell the blonde about the dream, it would be cruel. Sometimes there were things that were better kept to herself and this was one of them. She stood up as she turned on the faucet.

"Just a sec, Ali," she called back. "Go back to bed, I will be there in a second."

She splashed cold water onto her face and changed her t-shirt, the old one was damp in her hands. She scrunched her face at it and then opened the bathroom door, padding quietly into the kitchen to put the t-shirt in the washing machine. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before she turned and walked back down the corridor to her bedroom.

Alison was sitting up waiting for her, the bedside lamp was still switched on. The blonde yawned as Emily climbed back into bed, she didn't know what to say. What could you say after having a nightmare next to someone in bed? Absolutely nothing. She was glad when Alison broke the silence first.

"Are you okay Em?" Her voice was full of concern, there was no judgement in her question.

Emily nodded as she relaxed back against the pillow. "I'm fine don't worry, I haven't had one in a few months."

She watched as Alison chewed at her bottom lip, her voice had been full of concern and now her face was too. "Do you think it's me? Like what we done earlier?"

Emily propped herself up on her elbows so she could get a better look at the blonde. "Definitely not, it was me who started that remember? And I definitely don't regret it. Do you?"

Alison shook her head furiously. "God no, I just don't want to set you back."

"You're not setting me back, if anything you're helping me. This is the best I have felt in nearly a year, Ali," she admitted, her gaze fell onto the duvet and she could feel herself blush at what she had just said. "Come here," she stated as she lay back and opened her arm.

Emily smoothed Alison's hair with her hand. The blonde was lying in the crook of her arm, her cheek against her chest. Emily felt nothing but great affection for Alison, her breaths and breasts moving against her own ribcage, the curve of Alison's hip where her hand rested. Her breathing was steady and Emily wondered if she was asleep.

"Does it hurt?" Alison asked as if answering Emily's silent question about her being asleep.

Emily knew she meant the scar on her chest. "Sometimes, but often I wonder if it's all inside my head or if it really does hurt."

"I don't think it's all in your head, Em," Alison answered as she shifted her position. She pressed closer against Emily, her leg half thrown over one of the brunette's.

"Neither do I."

"So, are we okay?" Alison asked as she lifted her head slightly to look up Emily, the brunette's deep brown eyes were looking back at her.

"We're fine, we weren't not okay," Emily replied as she gently squeezed Alison's hip before she reached across and turned the light off with her free hand. She still needed to get used to the darkness, it was like she was a kid again learning how to sleep with the light off.

She didn't know how Alison could think that she was to blame for the nightmare. Alison, in the past month, had given her energy again. She woke up actually wanting to be around the blonde. Tonight had been the first time in months that she had slept without the light on because it felt safe enough to do so.

"So, that means we're together right? Like a couple?"

Emily smiled to herself in the darkness. "I'd say so yes."

"Good." Alison replied as she put her arm around Emily's stomach. "I'm glad.

"Me too, Ali."


	15. Ups and Downs

_Hey guys, sorry on the longer wait but I have uni exams and I need to pass them so lots of revision being done! Fingers crossed that I pass haha. I didn't get as many reviews on the last chapter as I normally do so I just want to make sure everyone is still enjoying this story? Maybe it was just that chapter I don't know. A lot of you wanted to see Emily and Jessica a little M rated so here we go and I apologise if this chapter is a little dialogue heavy. M rated Emison will happen I promise, just hang in there. Anyway enjoy the chapter and if you want to, leave me a wee review, it's really appreciated it!_

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><p><em>Emily blows her cheeks out as she looks at her watch. If she leaves now she can go home to her own bed, get rest, and then get up again in a few hours to start all over again. But when she looks up, Jessica is shedding her skirt.<em>

_It drops around her ankles and she steps out of it, one heel at a time. Then she lifts her blouse over her head and drops it casually onto the floor before she reaches back and unhooks her bra. She smiles at Emily as she slips out her underwear and kicks them aside._

_She is now naked and Emily hasn't stopped her. Suddenly the room is boiling and Emily's palms are sweating. Jessica stands completely naked in front of her. Emily's mouth feels like sandpaper and the heat in her stomach is almost unbearable._

"_It's going to be the best kind of sex you've ever had," Jessica tells her. "Then you can go back to work and you'll be ready to focus." She glances at the desk and arches an eyebrow in Emily's direction. "Do you want me to lie down?"_

_Emily shakes her head as her eyes move down over Jessica's exquisite body. "No," she says. "Against the wall."_

_Jessica grins at her wickedly and then saunters to the wall, turning so her back is against it. Emily walks over to her quickly, already unbuttoning her jeans. When Jessica reaches her hand inside Emily's underwear she looks up at her approvingly. "Looks like you're ready to go."_

_Emily kisses her. She can feel Jessica's breathing quicken under her touch. She pulls Jessica's knee up around her waist and the other brunette pushes her hips forward as Emily's fingers slide inside, they both groan as Jessica's hand slips inside her underwear too. Emily can feel Jessica tighten around her fingers as she begins to thrust._

_"Can I try something?" she says breathlessly in Emily's ear. "I think you'll enjoy it sweetheart."_

_Emily nods, she would agree to pretty much anything right now._

_Jessica reaches behind her hand and a moment later Emily feels a stinging pain at the base of her neck. She reaches around and tries to pull away but Jessica has her leg around her waist, holding her two fingers inside._

_"What the fuck Jessica?" Emily says as she manages to reach around with her free hand. Her fingers brush something wet and she can tell it's blood._

_"Stay inside me," she tells Emily. "Don't move your fingers."_

_Emily blinks because it hurts, the stinging feeling on her neck burns but the sensation is soon replaced as Jessica's fingers begin to move against her again. _

_"Do you feel it?" Jessica breathes. "The pain heightens pleasure. It was a tiny blade, I haven't cut you deep, I won't leave a mark."_

_"A blade?"_

"_Feel it?" Her green eyes shine in Emily's direction as she continues to rock her hips against Emily's hand and Emily can feel it. Jessica is right. Everything is magnified as Jessica's fingers begin to work furiously against her center._

_And she can't help herself as she thrusts her fingers inside Jessica again, she has to push deeper, has to keep thrusting her fingers inside this beautiful woman. Emily lifts Jessica's knee higher. The pain in her neck is still there but it's completely overtaken by the high that she's about to experience. She shudders, almost dizzy, as the pleasure pulses through her._

_"Can I do it again?" Jessica gasps._

_Emily kisses her hungrily, pressing her against the wall, and Jessica slides her tongue into Emily's mouth because Emily already knows the answer and so does Jessica._

* * *

><p>Emily poured the liqueur, freehand, nearly to the top of the glass. Macallan Amber Liqueur. Smooth, expensive alcohol, made more for sipping than for serious drinking. It was her first of the evening. Though, at six ounces, the glass held nearly twice as much alcohol as the drinks served at Coopers, the local cop bar – and Coopers' had a generous hand.<p>

Even so, Emily thought a few more might follow. However many it took, she supposed, to figure out why she was feeling so shitty about what happened with Alison. The blonde had called and she'd childishly declined. Three times.

Not exactly a huge fight, but not exactly not. Whatever it was called she didn't like it. It began with a safe enough routine. A pas de deux she'd gone through before with several people but never with Alison. Alison asked her gently. She declined to talk about it. Familiar words to a familiar tune for Emily.

But this time, it was Alison who had wanted the result. Not Spencer or Hanna or Paige: Alison. The blonde though had pushed beyond the familiar and landed on uncharted territory. Touched a nerve. Terra incognita where monsters lingered and ships fell off the end of the earth. She'd talk to someone in her own time, she didn't need Hanna or Spencer or Alison, for that matter, pushing her.

She was wearing a pair of sweatpants with nothing underneath. They were navy blue, frayed at the edges and completely torn in the right knee. The words _Rosewood Sharks_ were printed vertically on the right leg, they were the last physical reminder of her days as a swimmer at her high school. At Alison's high school too, she reminded herself.

Taking a good sip of the liqueur, she padded bare foot across the dark hardwood floor of her living room and settled herself in the window seat that she had just recently bought. With her back propped against one wall and her feet pressed against the other, she gazed out the window. At seven in the evening on a cold Halloween night it was already dark.

Cars passed below and she could make out the dark silhouettes of people who roamed underneath her. That was the good thing about living on the fourth floor, she was never bothered by trick or treaters. The moon rode low in the sky and as the moonlight glittered across the view she had, she swore she saw someone wearing a Jessica Jackson mask. They had proven wildly popular in Rosewood.

She felt the calming, comforting buzz of the alcohol and the Vicodin kick into her system. She thought again about what Alison had said and wondered if she should give therapy another try. She'd gone to a few sessions with Grant, her doctor, but it hadn't lasted long. She had backed off because she was uncomfortable at opening up to a stranger after what had just happened to her. No one seemed to understand that.

She closed her eyes and thought about the day's events.

_- x -_

Today had begun as a nothing kind of day at the end of a nothing kind of week, apart from the fact that she was now in an established relationship. She had smiled at the thought of the previous week. Work wise though, Emily was bored.

There were no big cases going on, no assaults, not even a theft at the local grocery store that she could sink her teeth into. It was as if everyone in Rosewood had started taking nice pills and didn't want to misbehave anymore. It was making her pretty cranky.

She had been back to the firing range for the first time since before Jessica had taken her at around ten thirty. She spent an hour firing tight clusters of holes in cardboard cut out target shapes. Despite the time that had passed since her last visit, she still had a better shot than half the men in the Rosewood force. Actually three quarters.

She had debated about going to the gym but had decided against it, she still didn't know if her body was ready for vigorous exercise, it probably wasn't. Instead she went back to the task force offices and made a show of doing paperwork that didn't really exist. It was one in the afternoon when Emily's phone rang in her pocket.

"Congratulate me," Alison said as soon as Emily had pressed the phone to her ear.

Emily's brows furrowed in the middle of her head. "Okay, congratulations, Ali," she replied. "But do you want to tell me what I'm congratulating you for?"

"Well, Parker called us in for a meeting. My profile on you is getting shortlisted for a literary award, I won't bore you with all the details, but basically out of every media story published in the whole of Philly they pick like five of the best ones and mine is in it. Parker said I have a serious chance of winning."

"That's great, Ali. Fantastic actually."

"Wait, it gets better. I have an office next to Parker now. He said the guys higher up are worried about losing me because…"

"Because you're the only one who ever got proper access to me and they think that you might get more information and that means another huge story?" Emily finished the sentence for her. She didn't care that she was a pawn in the game, she was happy for Alison and the blonde deserved it.

"Pretty much," Alison almost squealed. "But that doesn't mean I want another story out of you, things are different now obviously, but I just wanted to tell you first."

Emily smiled at the blonde's voice. "I'm glad you told me first and congratulations again. I have literally nothing to do here right now so how about I take Rosewood's new favourite journalist out for a late lunch?"

"I'm free, but why don't you meet me back at your apartment instead? I will bring us food from that little deli place you like," Alison replied, Emily could hear the happiness in her voice.

"And skip a fancy lunch?"

"Oh, well you'll live, plus." Alison said, her voice low. "I may want to kiss my girlfriend a lot to celebrate and I don't think that's appropriate for a public restaurant."

"You like saying that don't you?" Emily teased.

"Absolutely."

Emily glanced around to see if anyone was near her office. Or listening for that matter. Nobody was around. Less than a minute later, Emily had cleared her desk of paperwork, had her coat on, and was heading for exit doors.

She wondered what she'd say if she bumped into the mayor on her way out, he was in the building somewhere. _Following a new lead. _Nope. He'd want to know what the lead was and what investigation it was on. _Going to the gym? _Possible. That wouldn't register as anything out of the ordinary. Of course, Emily thought that it would maybe just be as fun telling the truth. _Well, actually, Johnstone, I'm going home to make out with the incredibly beautiful blonde journalist you assigned to me over a month ago. Oh and by the way, we are together now. _That ought to do it.

She glanced over at Toby on the way out but he was on the phone to someone. It was an animated call so she imagined it wasn't police business. She hand signalled to Spencer that she was taking off. Spencer nodded and waved her off.

Just over an hour later, Emily and Alison were lying side by side in the afterglow of their heavy make out session on Emily's bed. Alison was on her back, eyes closed, Emily was on her side, idly tracing circles on Alison's delicate hipbone that peeked out from underneath her shirt.

Emily leaned over and found Alison's lips with her own. "Umm?" Alison said, her eyes still closed, her arms reaching up to wrap around Emily's neck. "You want to go again?"

Emily smiled against the skin of Ali's cheek. "I do if you do."

Alison opened the liquid blue eyes that Emily was beginning to get lost in, the blonde looked right at her and then smiled. "I definitely want to, Em."

And so, Emily leaned back down to kiss her. Her lips moving effortlessly against Alison's. Like a well practiced routine that had been perfected over years rather than weeks. That's just the way it was with them.

And then when they had finished, Alison had looked at her softly and asked her if she'd thought about going to therapy to help with the new recurring dreams. Emily didn't move but she could feel her body stiffen. She lay there for a minute or two in silence.

"No," Emily said finally.

"When you say no, do you mean no not now or just no not at all?"

"No, not now."

"Why?" Alison persisted. "There's no shame in it, Em."

"Do we have to talk about this now Alison?"

Alison looked at her. "Yes, we do. I sleep here most nights and every second night I've woken up to you in the bathroom because of a dream. What even happens in them?"

Alison turned on her side and propped her head up on her hand. Emily's hand fell from Ali's hip. The blonde studied her for a minute and Emily sighed before she spoke.

"Ali, up until now this has been a perfectly good day. Please, don't fuck it up." There was no way Emily was going to tell Alison that she had dreamt about her and Jessica pressed against a wall.

"Em, I'm not trying to push you but I think it'll help."

Emily rolled onto her back. "I really don't want to talk about this anymore, Alison."

Alison felt a small surge of anger in her stomach. "Well, dammit Em, I do." She swung her legs out of bed and found the heels that were lying in the corner. "You can't live like this, I want to help you," she added as she slipped on a heel.

"You knew what I was like when we started seeing each other."

Alison studied her for a minute. "Yes, I did," she said as she slipped on the other heel.

"Then why did you get involved with me? You knew I was messed up. I told you that."

Emily watched as the blonde looked back at her, and suddenly there was an edge to her voice. "Because I want to be with you and therefore I want to help. What don't you understand about that?"

"Why did you want to be with me if you knew I was messed up?" Emily asked as she sat up, her arms crossed defensively across her chest. She was being ridiculous.

"You're funny, smart, very attractive and you knew there was something between us from day one, Emily, so don't give me that," Alison snapped back at the question.

Alison walked out the room towards the bathroom and closed the door. Emily could hear the sound of the toilet flushing before the sound of water running filled her apartment. Emily knew she should drop the whole thing, it had gone too far. She'd had this argument before with Hanna and Spencer. The bathroom door opened and Alison stepped out.

Her voice was quieter now, less combative. "Just talk to me, Em. That's what I'm here for. Is there something else that's bothering you?"

Emily sighed deeply. "No, nothing is bothering me, Alison. I'm not talking about this anymore and that's that."

"That's that?" Alison questioned.

Emily nodded before Alison walked out of the room, she got off the bed and followed quietly as Alison picked up her purse that had been thrown on the floor in haste when they had entered the apartment, unable to tear their lips apart.

"I'm going home," Alison announced plainly.

"Okay," Emily replied as Alison walked towards her apartment door. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. Anger at Alison for pushing the idea back into her head and fear that she might actually lose the blonde.

Before going out, Alison paused and turned in Emily's direction. "Remember tonight is Halloween, I'm going to Aria's."

"I remember. I'm sorry that I've made you unhappy Ali, but the dreams will pass. They always do."

Alison looked at her before she turned and left the apartment without replying.

_- x -_

As she took another sip of the liqueur there was a knock at the door.

Emily resisted the urge to grab her gun before she peeked the door open. The woman in the hall on the other side of the door was smiling at her, but Emily could see the smile fade a little when the woman really looked at her. She could imagine what the woman saw: an old t-shirt, ratty old sweatpants and messy hair. She shouldn't have answered the door. She actually wanted to close it now.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties, maybe the same age as Emily. She was wearing a red fitted top with cut off grey sweatpants, there was a brand name on them that Emily didn't recognise. It wasn't _Rosewood Sharks_ anyway. Emily recognised her as the woman upstairs who was stood at the window. The night that Emily had thought the woman was in her apartment.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Amelia."

She held out her hand politely. Emily hesitated and then she offered her hand through the door. Amelia looked confused. The woman's handshake was firm and friendly but Emily made sure that she was the one to let go first. Even in the dim light of the corridor, Amelia radiated health and happiness.

Her shiny dark hair was either very natural or very expensive. The smile widened honestly and Emily saw a set of perfect teeth. Her tan was one shade of unblemished bronze. She wasn't from around here, Emily decided. The tan and the accent didn't come from around here.

"You're not from around here," Emily stated.

The smile on Amelia's face faded again. "I'm your new neighbour. I just moved in upstairs, I think the landlord said a single Mom and a toddler used to have my apartment," she explained hastily.

Emily had made her nervous. She hadn't meant to. "People here don't have a tan," she explained in an attempt to make the woman feel better.

"I saw you come home earlier," Amelia said. "So I thought I would come down and introduce myself."

Emily wondered how someone got a tan like that in late October. "It's only right that you should share your name now," Amelia's voice interrupted her train of thought.

She cleared her throat. "Sorry, Emily," she answered. "My name is Emily."

Amelia peered past her into the apartment. "You live here alone?"

Emily hesitated. Alison stayed every other night, but that seemed too complicated to get into with a complete stranger right now. "Yeah, it's just me."

Amelia seemed to be waiting for something. Was Emily supposed to offer her a drink? She was bad at this sort of thing, she could solve a homicide but nowadays most social cues left her mystified. Except with Alison, she reminded herself. With Alison she could usually pick up on what the blonde was thinking and feeling easily.

"So if I need to borrow sugar or a tea bag I can ask you now?" Amelia smiled at her again.

Emily thought about it for a moment. "I don't have any of those things." She only had sugar sachets and they were for Alison, no one else. Just Alison.

The brunette sighed. "Well I just wanted to say hi, it was nice meeting you. Oh and I'm tanned because I'm from California. I'll see you around hopefully."

Emily wanted to say something but couldn't figure out what, so she settled on saying, "Welcome to the building." Amelia gave her an awkward wave as she walked down the long corridor towards the stairwell.

Where her shirt didn't meet her sweatpants Emily could see the faint outline of a tattoo, it was no bigger than the size of a dime. Drawn in black ink, the outline of a heart. The tattoo was still jet black, she noticed. It had been a recent addition.

_It's a coincidence Emily, that's all it is._

_- x -_

Alison's feet hurt. She had bought a pair of red boots with her last paycheck and they were killing her. It served her right for wearing them before breaking them in. Still, she needed to get them off her feet and now. She banged on the door to Emily's apartment, if the brunette wasn't going to answer her calls then she could at least tell her that they were done to her face.

She shifted her weight from one foot to another before she knocked on the door again. The door opened and two brown eyes blinked at her, it was like Emily was surprised to see her. But it was a different sort of surprise, like Emily was expecting someone else to be standing there instead of her.

"Hi," Emily said quietly.

"Was I not who you were hoping I'd be?"

Emily looked to the right of her, down the corridor towards the stairwell. Alison turned and looked too. There was no one there and she hadn't seen anyone in the elevator ride up.

"My neighbour was just here," Emily replied.

_Strange_. "Well, now it's me," Alison said. "Are you going to let me in?" She bent down and wrestled off a boot, her foot was pulsing in pain.

"I thought you were at Aria's?"

Alison wasn't in the mood for this kind of chat here. "Let me in." She squeezed past the brunette into the apartment, the feeling of Emily pressed against her wasn't lost, she carried her boot in one hand and immediately began to wrestle with the other one when Emily closed the door behind them.

"You didn't answer the phone. Again," Alison said.

The boots were now off. She wiggled her toes on the wooden floor, her socks were mismatched and she didn't care. There weren't many people she felt comfortable enough to reveal that kind of personal mishap with. But Emily was one of them.

"I didn't want to talk about it," Emily answered honestly and Alison watched as the brunette took a seat over at the window. A half full glass of amber liquid sat on the table next to it. She could smell the sweetness of it in the room.

"Are we finished?" Alison asked as she peered over at Emily, Emily's eyes remained on the window. Seemingly amused by the view outside.

"No."

She reminded herself that sometimes with Emily she would have to take matters into her own hands. "Okay." Relief cursed through her before she opened her mouth again. "Then there's got to be something more to it, Em."

Emily rested her head against the window and sighed. "Alright." She rolled her face in Alison's direction. "Since you seem utterly incapable of letting this go, yes, there is something else. It frightens me and as much as I try, it's something I can't get out my head."

"What is it that frightens you?" Alison asked as she walked over to the window seat.

Emily didn't answer right away. She looked at her reflection in her window. Seconds passed and then a minute.

"Please," Alison pleaded. "Just tell me what it is, Em."

"Okay, if you must know, I went to therapy last year with Grant. It only lasted a couple of sessions and I hated it. I hated feeling exposed after what happened to me. I had been exposed enough." Emily paused as she moved her legs so Alison could sit at the other end of the window seat.

"And then there's you and you frighten the shit out of me because I know if I go and see some shrink you'll look at me differently. And you will because that's just what happens." Emily laughed gently to herself. "I never even put my therapy sessions on my medical insurance because I didn't want more people looking at me like I couldn't handle things."

"I wouldn't look at you differently," Alison reassured, "but I do see your point."

Emily turned her head slightly so she was eye level with Alison. "This is the most normal I have felt in a year, three years if I'm being honest. Before Jessica's case took up my life. Being here with you… going out with you and doing normal things is just…yeah. I know you may think it's not significant but to me it is."

Alison knew she was on the cusp of unearthing something real. Of finally being able to take a sledgehammer to part of the wall that Emily had built up so high around her.

"It is to me too." Brown eyes flickered towards her own from the other end of the seat.

"Shouldn't you still be at Aria's?"

Alison shrugged. "I wanted to fix this instead and she agreed with me. What about your dreams?"

"They will pass. Sometimes they are real memories and other times I don't know if they are just a figment of my imagination." Emily didn't want to discuss what happened in her dreams, it wasn't fair and she wasn't prepared to go into that. "I will see someone, just not now. I like what we have now and I like the normalcy of it."

They sat in silence, both of their heads resting against the window. Alison could see the hustle of things starting to finally dissipate, there were less and less people on the street with every passing minute. Emily hadn't moved a muscle, her eyes remained fixed on what was happening outside. It was Emily who eventually broke the silence.

"I like having you here, you know that right?"

Alison nodded in her direction. "I do, yes." She moved so she was on her knees on the seat, she leaned over and placed her hands on both of Emily's shoulders. "And you know that I like being here with you?"

This time it was Emily's turn to nod and when she did Alison placed a finger under the brunette's chin, tilting her head upwards so their eyes were level. "Because I really do like being here with you," she mumbled as she leaned down to press her lips against Emily's.

She could feel the brunette relax underneath her as Emily's hands found her waist. Her own hands getting tangled in dark hair. "Can I stay over tonight since we are okay?" Alison asked, her breath coming in short pants. She felt Emily smile against her lips before she felt the brunette pull her closer confirming her answer.

_- x -_

Emily's phone vibrated against the table next to the window seat. The living room was filled with the milky light of morning. They were still on the window seat, Alison's back was pressed against her front, the blonde was lying in between her legs, the blanket pulled up to her chin. Their right hands were still clasped together over Ali's chest. Emily leaned out with her left hand to grab the phone.

"You want to see a body?" Toby asked.

She blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Is this a sick late Halloween joke Toby?" Emily replied. Alison stirred against her in the nicest way possible.

"Nope, there's finally been a homicide. The Bennie's grocery store in town, the owner's wife found him this morning around the back where they take stock. She guessed it was a heart attack because the guy was pushing eighty but turns out there was a gun involved."

Emily looked wistfully down at Alison and sighed. "Okay, I'll be there in thirty minutes."

Alison blinked her eyes open when she felt Emily move against her. She looked up at the brunette who still had her phone in her hand, she knew by Emily's face that something had happened.

"What's going on?" She mumbled sleepily.

Emily leaned down and pressed a kiss against Ali's hair. "I finally have a case, if you want the scoop you're welcome to come a long with me." She smiled when she saw Ali's eyes gleaming up at her.

"Okay, you go shower and I will make us coffee," Alison said as she leaned up and kissed Emily again.

_- x -_

Emily closed the door behind them and locked it as they tumbled out of her apartment. "I wish I had stayed asleep, it's freezing this morning," Alison grumbled as she leaned out and pressed the elevator button.

Emily put her arm around the blonde's shoulder to pull her in closer, her leather jacket providing more than enough insulation for her. "You should go home then babe, I will call you later if you don't want to go with me."

Alison's eyes widened. "Did you just call me babe?"

Emily closed her eyes. "Yes, yes I called you babe, lets not dwell on it."

Alison laughed gently as she pressed herself fully into Emily's side. "Oh no no, I think we should dwell on it, Em."

Emily was saved from more teasing when the elevator door pinged, they stepped inside before Emily hit the ground floor button. There was a comforting sign on the side of the lift. _If the doors should fail to open don't be alarmed, you will not run out of air. _It was reassuring in it's own little way for Emily, terrifying but reassuring all at the same time.

Emily looked down as Alison looped their arms together, she smiled at the gesture. When the door pinged open Emily was surprised to be standing face to face with Amelia, she hadn't forgotten about her neighbourly visit last night. She watched the brunette's eyes dart quickly between her and Alison.

"Hi, Emily," Amelia said as she smiled at them. Emily could feel Alison's arm tighten against her own.

"Hi," Emily replied, "you are up early this morning."

Amelia shrugged. She was wearing running gear that left little to the imagination. Emily wondered how she hadn't got frostbite. "I'm always up early, it's a routine." Her eyes flickered to Alison before they settled on Emily again. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I'm a cop so I have a case," Emily looked down at Alison who was appraising Amelia. "This is Alison by the way," Emily added as a friendly introduction. There was no handshake, just a polite nod at each other.

"Oh, I heard there was a cop in the building. I didn't know it was you though."

"Yeah, that's her," Alison replied, it was the first she had spoken since they had stepped out of the elevator.

"Yeah we better go actually, I don't want to be late," Emily stated as Alison tugged on her arm. "It was nice seeing you again."

Amelia smiled at her as she reached out for the elevator button. "You too, Emily."

"That's the neighbour you were talking about from last night?" Alison whispered as they walked out of earshot.

"Yes?"

Alison rolled her eyes. "I don't like her already, who has a tan in winter?"

Emily shrugged. "She comes from California, they guys have a tan all year round."

"You know where she's from?" Alison questioned as they walked out of the building, the cold hit her straight in the face. There was no way that woman had been out running in this weather.

"Are you jealous?" Emily teased as they crossed the sidewalk, their arms still linked.

"I'm not jealous of her, I'm just not fond of people who tan in winter," Alison bit back as they reached Emily's Range Rover. The brunette opened the door with a smirk and Alison climbed into the passenger seat. "I'm not jealous."

Emily leaned into the door and kissed Alison fully on the mouth, despite it being early morning she felt the blonde respond to her immediately, pulling at the collar of her leather jacket.

"Okay you're not jealous," Emily deadpanned before she walked around the car. "But you totally are," she added with a smile as she closed her door and started the car.

* * *

><p><em>What do we think of Amelia guys? Is she a good guy or? Let me know I'd love to hear your theories to see if anyone gets it right! <em>


	16. Going To The End Of The Line

_Awesome response for the last chapter so thank you for that. I loved all your theories about Amelia they were really fun to read! Some of you were pretty close but not quite there. Loved the guest who suggested she's FBI that would be different wouldn't it? Haha. My exams are now finished so I have a whole month free to write as much as I want (yay I hope). Enjoy and please leave me a review if you wish!_

* * *

><p>Toby sat perched on the end of her desk, it had turned into a nineteen hour day and she didn't know who looked the worst out of them. When they'd first started working together she and Toby had pushed their desks together so they could see each other and pass information back and forth. Now they had separate offices but they were always close, Emily's office looked onto Toby's and if both of them had their doors open they could see each other.<p>

Toby had once casually announced that all his thoughts traveled in a straight line from his forehead and that's why he liked Emily's desk in front of his, so she could intercept anything he forgot to say. It was one of the most frightening things Emily had ever heard her partner and best friend say.

"So you and Alison?" he said it casually in an attempt to get her talking.

"Yeah?"

"I knew there was something going on with you two." He grinned at her. "How is it going?" he asked sincerely.

Emily nodded before she smiled. "It's actually going good, but I am going home now because if I don't I may end up asleep here on this chair and I don't want that." She stood before she reached over for her jacket, pulling it over her shoulders.

"She's sleeping over at your apartment right now isn't she?" Toby joked as he leaned down to gently punch her shoulder.

Emily rolled her eyes before she pointed to the door. "Get out and I will see you tomorrow but if you must know, yes she is." She smiled to herself as she hugged Toby goodnight and headed for the exit doors.

There was a white sprinkling of frost on the sidewalk when Emily pulled up outside her apartment building. It was just after three in the morning and Rosewood was deserted. She noticed that the light in her living room was still on and she smiled at the prospect of going home for the first time in as long as she could remember.

She pulled her apartment key from her pocket and slid it into the lock gently, she knew Alison would be asleep and she didn't want to wake her. She stood silently in the living room for a second before she looked up, there had been a noise in the upstairs apartment. Amelia's apartment. She shook her jacket off before she made her way to the bedroom.

Alison was asleep on her own side of the bed. Emily stripped down and grabbed her t-shirt and shorts quietly before she slid into bed next to the blonde. She had that meeting at ten to officially close the case but she still had time for a few hours sleep. She wouldn't have to wake up until nine to make it to the task force offices by ten.

Trying not to disturb Alison, but feeling a need to be close to her, Emily pressed her body, spoon fashion, against the bend of the Alison's back and rested one arm along the curve of her waist.

"I'm glad your back," she mumbled sleepily. "I was starting to worry about you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, Ali."

"I've been waiting up for you. Welcome home." Emily initially smiled and then her eyes widened at the home reference, she was pretty sure Alison wouldn't remember the conversation in the morning. Maybe that was a good thing.

"It's good to be home," she said as she pushed herself even more tightly against the blonde. She meant it.

_- x -_

Emily inched toward consciousness, eyes closed, light was streaking across her face. Someone must have opened the blinds and let the morning sun in. The brightness of it hurt, even with her eyes shut. It wasn't a nice thing to do to someone who'd only had a few hours sleep.

She slid her hand over to the right hand side of the bed and felt around, there was no one there so she explored further and found nothing but the bed sheet.

"I hope you're looking for me there."

Alison's voice came from the other side of the room, she sounded amused and Emily thought she had a hell of a nerve sounding amused at this time of the morning. The last time she had checked it was just after three thirty in the morning, she imagined it wasn't too long after that. Amazingly, despite not eating the majority of yesterday, she didn't have a headache. She rolled over and peeked her eyes open.

"What time is it?"

Alison was sitting in the rocking chair that sat over at the chest of drawers, she was sipping at her coffee. "Nearly eight."

Emily absorbed the information and nodded. Okay, eight in the morning. Nearly five hours sleep. That was plenty. She opened her eyes further. Alison was wearing a light blue Nike t-shirt that hung loose on her small frame with red and blue plaid pajama bottoms. Both were Emily's.

"I just wore your clothes to bed last night, although the bottoms are a little long on me," Alison said, as if reading her thoughts. Emily didn't mind, she actually thought they looked better on Alison than they ever did on her. "Do you want a coffee?"

Emily mumbled something vaguely affirmative as Alison pulled herself out of the chair and walked towards the kitchen. By the time Alison got back she was sitting up and resembled something human. Alison put the mug of coffee on the bedside table next to a glass of orange juice.

"Here, you look like you could use the orange juice too. I can't remember if I remember you getting into bed or if I dreamt it."

"It was just after three," Emily replied as she lifted the orange juice and swallowed it down in a few large gulps before she reached for the coffee. "And you said you had been waiting up, but I think that may have been a white lie." Alison smiled shyly at her. "That's what I thought."

"How are you feeling anyway?" Alison asked.

"I'm okay, burglary gone wrong basically. Kid confessed easily enough when we found him. Another case closed. Although I don't think the Bennie family will see it that way."

Alison sat down next to her on the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You caught the guy Em, and that's all you could have done at that point."

Emily knew she was right, there was literally nothing else her and Toby could have done apart from find the perp. "I know, it just sucks. People are crazy at times."

They shared a knowing look, both of their minds going to Jessica. Although neither would admit to it.

_- x -_

"So," Aria said as she placed her empty coffee cup onto the table that her and Alison shared in the Brew.

"So?" Alison questioned as she copied her best friend.

"When do I get to meet her?"

Alison glanced around her shoulder and out the window, Emily should have been there five minutes ago. "Hopefully in a few minutes, we're going grocery shopping. Her best friend Hanna is having dinner with us." Alison smiled as she looked back at her friend.

It was the first Aria had seen Alison blush about anyone. Period. Her blonde friend had had conquests in the past but she'd never seen Alison like this, utterly overawed by Emily Fields. She understood it though. The raw attractiveness, the dangerous job, the mythical stories and maybe it was just the fact that she was also a woman.

"You really like her don't you, Ali?" Aria asked as she looked back over at her friend, the half smile on Ali's face answered the question.

"I do, and I can't wait for you to meet her. We will have to go out together one night, you and Ezra and us."

Aria nodded her approval and just as she was about to speak the doors of the Brew chimed and Emily Fields walked in. She had that presence about her that once Aria had seen her she couldn't take her eyes off it, she was like a magnet and apparently Aria wasn't the only one who thought so. Alison's eyes hadn't blinked.

"Hi," Emily said softly as she approached the booth Alison and Aria were sitting at next to the window, she pressed her hand onto the blonde's shoulder. It was more for her comfort than for Alison's.

Alison smiled up at her, eyes sparkling blue. "Emily, this is my best friend Aria. Aria this is Emily."

Emily used her free hand to extend it to the petite brunette. There was a flicker of recognition in Emily's chest as she looked at Aria. "It's lovely to meet you. I feel like I know you though, your face is familiar," Emily commented with a small laugh as she pulled her hand away and slid into the booth next to Alison.

"You guys would have been in the same year at school," Alison commented as she finished the dregs of her coffee.

"Ah, that's probably it then," Aria replied as she smiled over at the couple. Emily smiled back at her before the brunette turned her attention onto Alison. Aria watched both of them for a second, just staring at each other, grinning.

"Well we better go, grocery shopping to do," Alison announced as she patted Emily's shoulder as an instruction for her to get out of the booth. Emily smiled politely over at Aria again as she stood up and slid out of the booth.

"Me and Aria were just saying that it would be nice to go out with her and Ezra for a few drinks one time," Alison said as she pulled her jacket over her shoulders.

Emily remembered Aria now. She had been the student that had had an alleged affair with her English teacher - Ezra Fitz. It had spread around the school like wild fire. Emily liked her though, and she didn't ask about Jessica, she didn't even look as if she wanted to ask about Jessica and for that Emily liked her even more.

"Yeah, I'm sure we can arrange something," she replied as she stepped to the side and allowed Alison to get out the booth. Alison and the small brunette hugged before Aria extended her hand in Emily's direction again.

"It was nice to meet you Aria," she said sincerely.

Alison glanced over her shoulder just as she was about to leave the coffee shop. She giggled when Aria gave her a thumbs up, a wink and a few nods of the head.

_- x -_

Emily grabbed a shopping cart as Alison waited by the opening doors of the grocery door. She spun the cart around playfully before she pushed it back in Alison's direction. A black and white patrol car pulled into a space that was marked with a no parking sign. A young, friendly faced female officer sat behind the wheel. She smiled as she spotted Emily with someone she was obviously involved with.

"Hey Fields, how are you?" She called out the window.

Emily smiled back. "Keeping an eye out for all the shop lifters?"

The cop laughed. "You know Rosewood too well. Another few hours and the drunks will start pouring out of the bars too."

Emily waved her off before they stepped into the grocery store. Emily pushed the cart while Alison linked their arms together.

A petite, dark haired check out girl rang the item through and looked up at the young man standing in front of the register. "That'll be thirty six dollars," she said simply.

The man finished packing up his items into the bags before handing her a plastic card. Emily didn't think he looked older than twenty-one. The check out girl swiped the card through the machine and waited a few seconds. She bit her bottom lip as the machine beeped. With doubtful eyes she looked up at the young man.

"I'm really sorry, but your card has been declined," she said before she handed the man his card back. The man stared back at her as if she'd spoken in a language he didn't understand.

"What?" His eyes moved to the card, paused, and then returned to the check out girl. "There must be a mistake. Could you try it again?" The check out girl gave him a small shrug and swiped the card through again. A few seconds went by before it beeped again. Declined.

Emily watched as the man started searching through his pockets for whatever money he could find, he managed to come up with a few dollar bills, and a bunch of quarters and dimes. After quickly adding up his changed, he looked at the girl apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm about twenty dollars short. I'll have to leave some things behind."

Emily looked at his shopping. Most of it consisted of baby stuff – diapers, baby food, a can of powdered milk and a bag of baby wipes. The rest of his stuff was just basic every day things: bread, milk, eggs and a few cans of soup. The man didn't touch any of the baby stuff, but returned everything else.

"What are you looking at?" Alison asked quietly, she'd noticed the brunette's brows crease when she had gotten back from grabbing a second garlic bread from the aisle behind them.

"He can't afford his groceries," Emily replied simply as she nodded in front of them.

Emily moved forward so she was side by side with the man. "It's okay." The check out girl looked up and her and frowned.

"I'll get this," Emily said as she nodded at the young guy next to her. "You can put your groceries back into your bag. It's on me." She handed the check out girl two twenty-dollar bills. The man stared back at her, a flicker of recognition crossed his faced and his eyes widened ever so slightly. But he didn't say anything, he didn't look like he new what to say. _He knows who I am._

"It's okay," Emily said again, giving him a reassuring smile. Still stunned the young man's face moved from the check out girl and back to Emily.

"Thank you so much," he finally said, extending his hand, his voice catching ever so slightly in his throat, his eyes becoming just a little glassy. Emily hesitated before she gently shook his hand and gave him a small nod.

"That was the kindest thing I've ever seen happen in here," the check out girl said once the young man had collected his groceries back up and left the shop. Emily thought she could see tears in the check out girls' eyes too.

"I'm serious," the petite brunette reiterated. "I've worked here for almost a year and I've seen plenty of people come up short when it comes to paying, but I've never seen anybody do what you did."

Emily shrugged. "Everyone needs a little help to get them out of a rut every now and then." She glanced back at Alison who was smiling softly in her direction, the blonde's head tilted slightly to the right. It was one of the sweetest things Ali had ever seen and she thanked God for bringing Emily Fields into her life.

"I've seen you in here before," the check out girl said as her eyes fell back onto Emily. "I'm Beth," she said looking down at her name tag.

"Emily, but you probably already knew that." Beth's face turned a light shade of red before she nodded.

"I finish at seven tonight if you'd want to grab a coffee some time?"

Emily hesitated for a brief second. "I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate that," Emily said as she looked over at Alison. The blonde did not look impressed and Beth's face turned a darker shade of red. Emily gave Alison a little shake of her head as the blonde pushed their shopping cart forward and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"If it's not your neighbours it's cashiers," Alison grumbled as they left the shop. She'd never really been good with jealousy. Even when she was five and her next door neighbour got the bike that she had desperately wanted.

"You're not jealous again are you?" Emily teased with a grin as she pushed the cart in the direction of her car. Alison rolled her eyes before she stepped in front of the brunette.

"Nope." She leaned up and kissed Emily on the lips, a cloud of cold formed above them when the pulled apart. "Not jealous but that was insanely sweet what you just done in there for that guy and I'm lucky to have you."

_- x -_

Hanna's stomach made a noise that sounded like a volcanic eruption. "I will give you my right arm if you get me food right now, Em."

"If you're capable of waiting just five more minutes dinner will be ready, I promise," Alison replied with a laugh as she scooted to the edge of the couch before she got up and walked to the kitchen. Hanna's stomach let out another rumbling protest.

"Do you think I could walk over there and get a slice of bread or something without her noticing?"

Emily shook her head. "Some of my cupboards are booby trapped."

"Oh."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding, Han."

Hanna pulled her head back slightly, "Well I believed it. A few months ago you were one step away from loony tunes."

"Dinners ready you two," Alison called from the kitchen.

There were three plates on the kitchen counter, two were topped with pasta and a tomato sauce, Alison's had greenery on it that Emily didn't think was edible. It definitely wasn't if Alison had found it in one of her cupboards. The plate at the end was the largest and Alison's small smile gave away that it was Emily's plate.

Hanna looked down at the pasta, a smile beamed across her face. "This is the nicest…" was all she managed before her fork found her mouth. When she was finished she patted the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Alison, I will tell you this, this is the best pasta dish I have ever eaten. My Mom's included."

"Thank you, Hanna."

Hanna grinned in the other blonde's direction. "That was just my little attention getting introduction."

Emily's eyebrows arched as she looked across the coffee table at her best friend and Alison tilted her head as she looked back at Hanna. "Okay, you've got my attention. Introduction to what?"

"Well I've just been wondering what your intentions are?"

Alison's blue eyes widened a little, which made a startling change in her face. Emily just closed her eyes. "Excuse me?" Alison replied.

"Towards my friend. I'd just like to hear your intentions that's all, she's been through a lot."

Alison's eyes went back to their normal size. She looked over at Emily whose eyes were shut, she wanted to shut her eyes too but she knew she couldn't, she had to brazen this conversation out. Before she could talk Hanna's mouth opened again.

"She's my best friend and best friends look out for each other, and because you two have been seeing each other I think it's only fair that her best friend knows what is going on and what your intentions are."

Emily looked up, embarrassed and just a little angry. "Jesus, Han, shut up."

"I'm doing you a favour here Em, you'd do the same for me."

"Not like this and not in a million years."

A faint buzz echoed from Alison's purse that sat on Emily's bed. The blonde was still staring at Hanna, Emily couldn't read her expression and it made her wary. When the buzzing started again she got up from her position next to Emily on the couch.

"I better get that. There's dessert in the fridge if you guys want to start without me."

Emily turned to Hanna when Alison turned into her bedroom. "What the hell was that all about?"

"That was about me, taking care of you," Hanna replied easily, "What's for dessert?"

"Cheesecake. And you're lucky I'm not throwing it at your head."

"Well that's about the stupidest thing you've ever said, Em."

Now Emily was staring at her, and Hanna didn't have a bit of trouble reading her expression. She raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Maybe I went a little too far. I'll apologise. But can we cut the cheesecake first?"

It was just after nine when Alison went for a shower and Emily showed Hanna to the door. Hanna, as promised, apologised as soon as Alison had re entered the living room. The two blonde's seemingly past their first hurdle. Emily smiled to herself. She had two blondes in her life and she thought the world of both of them, and the best part was they got on well. Really well. Hanna liked Alison. Alison liked Hanna.

"I like her, Em," Hanna commented again when they got to the apartment door. "She's lovely and she can hold her own against me. You know how much that impresses me."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you like her, but I'm glad you're leaving. I need a shower and then I need to sleep."

Hanna wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, an early night in store?"

"Hanna," she sighed. "Ali and I don't have that kind of relationship yet."

"Yeah right," Hanna scoffed. "You two practically have sex every time you look at each other, sleeping together is just a formality you haven't done yet."

Emily was silent for a few seconds, which was a big mistake.

"Oh God," Hanna said. "You're thinking about it right now aren't you?"

Emily smiled and shook her head. "Shut up, Han."

_- x -_

Alison held Emily's hand in her own for the duration of the film that they were watching. It was about half way through that Alison started to compare Emily with the protagonist in the film, he was a detective too. Both were calm, cool and collected. Hardened by years of witnessing the darker side of human beings; Emily especially, though Ali knew the brunette was a softy at heart. By the end of the film Alison had images of Emily in her proper uniform and it was enough for her heart to beat a little quicker.

Emily stood and Alison found herself appreciating the brunette's physique. From the long tanned, toned legs to the taut stomach that peeked out from underneath Emily's shirt when she stretched her hands into the air.

"I see you watching me," Emily said as her eyes flickered down in Ali's direction.

Busted. "I wasn't," Alison replied half heartedly as she looked back up at Emily. Her cheeks flushed at being caught.

"Bed?" Emily asked simply and Alison smiled softly before nodding.

Alison let out a surprised squeal as Emily used her superior height to back her against the wall outside the bedroom door. Emily took a breath, her mouth inches from Alison's.

"I definitely saw you watching me earlier," Emily finished the sentence by closing the distance and pressing her lips against Ali's.

At the sensation of Emily's tongue against her own, Alison moaned and grabbed a fist full of the t-shirt that Emily was wearing, pulling the brunette impossibly closer to her. She opened her mouth and let Emily dominate the kiss, she had a feeling that Emily wanted to be in control of this situation and she was more than happy to let her be.

Thought's of Emily this closely pressed against her filled her head and she ran her hands down Emily's arm's finally settling her hands on the brunette's waist, their roles reversed as Emily's hands cupped her cheeks. There was no space between them, Emily pushing her fully against the wall as the brunette pushed her toned body against her.

Alison breathed out and looked up at Emily, her thoughts lost as she revelled in the sensation of the brunette against her own body. "When you said bed earlier?"

Emily hesitated briefly. Her voice catching in the back of her throat. "I meant bed." Alison nodded her understanding slowly, taking the brunette's hand in her own and leading her into the bedroom.

"God," Alison groaned, her brain unable to formulate words, she was currently distracted by the greatest of all distractions. Emily was on top of her, the brunette's hips in between her thighs. "Emily," she whispered, she'd never needed anyone like she needed Emily right then. She adjusted herself and allowed Emily to settle fully in between her legs. Both of them automatically rolling their hips together.

Emily pulled away slightly to look at Ali underneath her. She begged her hands to stay steady this time, begged her hands not to be clumsy as they roamed freely over Alison. _You can do this, you know you really really want to. _"Is this okay?" she asked quietly as Alison looked up at her before nodding enthusiastically.

Emily grinned against the warm skin of Ali's cheek as she moved her lips lower and found her pulse point. Sucking gently before soothing it with her tongue. She ran her right hand down the side of the blonde's body, feeling the slight curve of her breast underneath her t-shirt.

She moved lower and grinned against the flushed skin of Alison's neck as her fingers brushed over warm lace underneath Ali's shorts. "Fuck," Emily groaned and then moved her hand higher again before her desire for Alison could get the better of her. She tucked her hand under the blonde's t-shirt and palmed a firm breast as her lips moved back onto Ali's.

Alison kept her hands busy in Emily's hair but she couldn't control the rest of her body as it arched against Emily's. The brunette tugged at her t-shirt and she adjusted herself so Emily could pull it swiftly over her head and despite being naked from the waist up she didn't feel vulnerable. She felt wanted. Desperately wanted. She threw a leg around Emily's waist drawing her closer again.

The friction of her movement causing the heat in between her legs to increase, Alison threw her head back onto the pillow as Emily let out a little growl before she traced her lips down between Alison's breasts, enjoying the soft skin that she found. Emily sat up briefly and pulled her own t-shirt over her head, her eyes momentarily finding the pink scar on her chest.

"It's okay," Alison breathed from underneath her. "It's okay, Em."

She nodded softly in Ali's direction before she pressed herself back against the blonde, both of Ali's legs tightening around her waist. "I want you, Ali." She whispered as she pressed open-mouthed kisses against the blonde's neck. "Only you."

"Only me?"

"Only you," Emily confirmed as her mouth traced over the hollow of Ali's throat. She rocked her hips against the blonde and felt Alison let out a breathless moan underneath her.

Alison moved her hands from Emily's dark hair, to the base of her naked back, working them higher over the hot skin until she felt the trim muscles of Emily's shoulders.

"I only want you too," she gasped as Emily's hips rolled harder into her. She couldn't control the small series of moans and sighs that escaped her mouth as Emily continued to rock perfectly against her.

Alison could only suck in a breath as Emily's hand snaked between them, finding the inside of her underwear. "God," she managed again as Emily's fingers created phenomenal friction against her clit.

Alison was about to crumble and quickly. She arched her back further as Emily's lips found a straining nipple, the brunette swirling her tongue around it before biting gently. Repeating the motion before she moved over to her other breast. She pushed her head back as Emily slipped a finger easily inside her. Building a slow rhythm before adding another. The brunette's thumb pushed deliciously against her clit with every thrust.

"Is this okay?" Emily asked as she pulled gently on the blonde's earlobe with her teeth.

"God…yes," Alison replied as she moved her hips in sync with Emily's thrusts. Meeting each one with timed perfection.

Emily curled her fingers inside the blonde and groaned as Ali's fingernails dug into the bare skin on her back. Despite the slight sting of the blonde's fingernails Emily smiled as she pressed her lips back onto Ali's, the blonde's tongue meeting her own in a needy, desperate kiss. She pulled away and allowed Alison to take in the breaths she needed to, and then continued to kiss along her jaw and down her throat, sucking gently on her pulse point again.

She traced her lips in a backwards path, finding the blonde's lips waiting. She dipped her tongue into Alison's eager mouth and pulled back slightly to just look at the blonde underneath her. Blue eyes that were cloudy with desire stared back at her. Lips parted as Emily continued to curl her fingers inside. She didn't think she'd seen anyone look as beautiful as Alison did underneath her.

She leaned down as she increased the speed of her thrusts, her thumb circling the blonde's clit. "Come," Emily commanded gently. "Come for me, Ali."

Alison acquiesced in eagerness. Her hands grasped Emily's back and she squeezed against her with trembling thighs. Emily felt the rumble under her lips as Alison's body pushed fully against her. She gulped in much needed air as Emily peppered her neck and breasts with loving kisses.

"Jesus, Emily," she gasped, she released her legs from their tight grip around Emily's waist, her whole body relaxed as she smiled dreamily up at Emily who hovered above her. "That was incredible," she added before she pulled the brunette in for a searing kiss.

Emily rolled onto her side, her body supported by an elbow, Alison was still on her back smiling softly at her. She leaned over and pushed a few stray blonde hairs away from Alison's face. "You're beautiful, Ali."

Despite what had just happened, Alison couldn't help the blush that crept up her neck and face. "That's the first time you've said that to me."

"I know."

She smiled before she rolled onto her side and pushed herself tightly against Emily. The brunette's arms wrapped around her in seconds. She took a breath and marvelled at everything Emily. She smelled like, well, Emily. Clean and fresh with a subtle hint of her body wash and perfume. Not like some of the men she'd been with, with their disgusting cheap cologne. Shaking the thoughts from her head she looked up at Emily, her eyes were closed.

"Don't you want me to repay the favour?" she asked nervously and watched as Emily's brown eyes blinked open.

Emily smiled and released an arm from Alison to pull the duvet up around them. She pressed a kiss onto the blonde's forehead before she settled back into her position.

"No, tonight was just about you, Ali."

_- x -_

"Well it's alright, even when push comes to shove," Alison mumbled with the music floating out of the iPod as she made her way around Emily's kitchen counter. "Well it's alright, we're going to the end of the line."

She heard the click of Emily's shoes on the floor and turned just time for the brunette's hands to wrap around her waist. "Good morning, I'm more human after my shower," Emily explained with a smile. "And was that you singing along to my music?"

Alison rolled her eyes, dramatically. "It's because the damn thing is always on in here. Can I come to your office with you for an hour or so? Parker isn't in until ten this morning and I don't want to wait on my own. I think Donna has a story so she's chasing leads all over the place."

Emily nodded happily then she leaned down and kissed the blonde gently on the lips before she leaned across for her first coffee of the morning.

_- x -_

Alison grimaced down at a photo that was on Emily's desk. There was a hole in the middle of the mans head and she could see more than she ever needed to. She placed it back down and looked out the window at the morning traffic.

"That belongs to Callahan, it got put on my desk by mistake for some reason," Emily said as she entered her office with two coffees and two sugar sachets in her jeans pocket, she jutted her hip out for the blonde to get them. "Sugar's in my pocket."

"Not much of a view," she commented as she stood behind Alison, she felt the blonde back into her a little. "Okay, maybe the view isn't so bad after all."

Just as Alison turned around to reply the phone on Emily's desk rang.

"Detective Fields," she answered, half expecting it to be Detective Callahan looking for the photo file that Alison had just had in her hands minutes ago.

There was silence on the end of the line.

"Hello?" she questioned again.

"Is this detective Emily Fields?" The voice on the other end was male.

"Yes, can I help you?" She watched Alison's eyes flicker onto her. A questioning look on her face. Emily just shrugged gently.

Emily heard the caller on the other end breathe out.

"That's what we are going to find out, detective." Emily frowned into the phone. "I want your attention for the next few minutes."

Emily cleared her throat. "Sorry but what's your – "

"Just shut up and listen detective," The caller interrupted her, his voice was still eerily calm. "This isn't about getting to know me."

Emily went silent. They received crazy calls every day – drunks, people wanting to report government conspiracies, Emily had even taken a phone call about a UFO invasion once. But there was something about the man's voice, something in the way he spoke, that told Emily that she should listen because dismissing this call as a crazy call would be a mistake.

Toby was sitting at his desk across the hall, his eyes fixed down on a sheet of paper, he was completely oblivious to Emily's call. Emily clicked her fingers to catch Toby's attention, pointed to the receiver at her ear and made a circular motion with her finger, indicating that she wanted the call recorded and traced.

Toby instantly reached for his phone on the desk and punched in the extension number that connected him to Operations, everything was up and going within ten seconds. He signaled to Emily that it was done, she signaled back telling him to listen in. Toby picked up his phone again and tapped into the line. Emily could see Ali watching her with a concerned expression.

"I'm assuming you have a computer close by?" the caller asked.

"I do."

"Okay, I want you to type in this web address I'm about to give you. Are you ready?"

Emily hesitated as she looked at Alison again.

"Trust me detective, you want to see this."

Emily leaned forward and brought the keyboard closer to her as she rested the phone against her shoulder. Toby did the same across the hall. "Okay, give me the address," she replied in a calm tone.

The caller gave Emily a web address full of numbers and dots, she frowned at the lack of letters. She typed in the address and pressed enter. Her computer screen flickered a few times before the page fully loaded. Emily went still as she looked at the screen, Ali moved around to get a better view, her hand covered her mouth when she saw it.

The caller laughed in Emily's ear. "Well detective Fields, I guess I have your attention now."


	17. Seen It All

_Thank you for all your lovely reviews they really are humbling and I love reading them all. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it's a bit police-y but I think there will be enough Emison in there too! If you wish, and I love when you do, please leave me a wee review. See I even made that rhyme and I have tonsillitis :( so cheer me up with some reviews!_

* * *

><p>Emily and Toby's eyes were glued to their computer screens, trying to take in the surreal pictures. They showed a large perspex container. The container was open top and it seemed to Emily that it was handmade. Metal frames and thick white sealant held it together at the corners. The whole thing looked like a small shower cubicle.<p>

Inside the container were two pipes, one on the left and one on the right, they ran from the floor all the way up and out the top. Two things worried Emily. One was the fact that the pictures seemed to be feeding through live and the second thing was that sitting directly between the two metal pipes was a man. He looked to be in his late twenties, his hair was cropped extremely short and the only piece of clothing he had on was boxers.

He didn't look visibly hurt, but Emily was in no doubt about the expression on his face – complete fear. His eyes were wide open and he was trying to take in all the oxygen he could through large gulps. The entire image had a blue tint to it, indicating that the camera was using night vision. Whoever the man was he was sitting in a dark room.

"Is this for real?" Toby whispered to Emily, she hadn't even heard him come into her office. She shrugged without taking her eyes off the screen. And then, as if on cue, the caller broke the silence.

"If you are wondering if this is live then let me show you."

The camera panned right where a clock hung on the wall. It read nine twenty seven. Emily checked her watch – nine twenty seven. The camera then panned down and reached a newspaper that had been placed on the floor against the wall. It was a copy of this mornings _Herald._

"Happy?" the man chuckled in Emily's ear. Emily reached down and pressed the loudspeaker button on her phone, Alison took a step closer to her and her eyes flickered towards the screen and then back up at Emily.

"The container that you can see is made of reinforced glass and it's strong enough to withstand bullets. The door has an airtight seal and it can only open from the outside. Basically, the man you can see is locked inside. There's no way out for him."

The mans face jerked up towards the camera and Emily quickly leaned down and pressed the print screen key on her keyboard, saving a snap of the mans face to her computer. She hoped it would be enough to identify him.

"Now, the reason I called you detective Fields is that I need your help."

"Okay, lets take it easy," Emily replied, being sure to keep her voice calm. "How can I help you?"

There was a brief silence on the phone before she heard the man breathe out again. "Well," the man said calmly. "You're going to decide how he dies."

Emily and Ali shared uneasy glances. Toby was out the door in three seconds and on the phone in his office, typing in the Operations phone number again. "Please tell me you've got a trace on this guy," Toby said as the phone was answered at the other end.

"Not yet, keep him talking," the woman replied.

Emily shook her head when she saw Toby's face, her partner hung up the phone and then stalked back into her office. "Fire or water Detective?" the caller asked.

Emily frowned. "What?"

"Fire or water, the pipes inside the container are capable of producing both."

Emily's heart fluttered in her chest. Alison covered her mouth with her hand again, Emily attempted to give her a reassuring nod. It didn't work. "I choose neither of them."

"That's not an option."

A red light started flashing on Toby's desk and a shrill ring followed it. He quickly made his way into the office. Emily was hopeful when she saw Toby smiling slightly and then it faded and she knew they hadn't found him. He hung up the phone and shook his head.

"He's rerouting the signal every few seconds. We can't get a location. He knows what he's doing, Em," Toby whispered.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut. "Look, you don't have to do this, why are you doing it?" she asked the man on the other end of the phone.

"Because I want to," the caller came back. "You have three seconds to choose detective. Fire or water? Ask your partner if you need to, I'm sure he's listening."

Toby stayed silent.

"Wait," Emily said. "How can I choose when I don't even know who he is or why you have him? Let's just talk and you can tell me what this is about."

The sound exploded through the phone so loudly that their heads jerked back and Alison let out a little yelp of surprise before she composed herself again. It sounded like the caller had smashed the phone against a surface a few times to get their attention.

"You don't get it. The only word I want to hear from you is fire or water. And you will find out why I have him for yourself."

Emily said nothing as she looked back at the screen, the man was shivering violently in his seat. She shook her head in despair, Alison had pushed tightly against her. The blonde was shivering too.

"Okay, I gave you a choice. You don't want to pick so I will and I pick fir – "

"Water," Emily said reluctantly. "I choose water."

The caller paused and let out an amused laugh. "You know something detective? I knew you would pick water."

Their eyes fell onto the screen, the man was still flailing harmlessly in his seat. The caller's laugh echoed around Emily's small office but this time the laugh was completely relaxed. Genuine.

"Keep on watching detectives. This is just about to get a whole lot better."

The line went dead.

All of a sudden with extreme speed, water started pouring out both of the pipes inside the glass container. The man tied to the chair was caught by surprise, and the fear made his whole body shake violently. His eyes widened in desperation as he realised what was going on. He was screaming, but on the other side of the screen Emily, Ali and Toby couldn't hear anything.

"Oh my God," Alison said, bringing her hand back across her mouth. "He's going to do it, he's going to drown that man." Emily didn't care that she was in Toby's presence, she put her arm around Alison and drew the blonde closer into her body.

"This is insane," Toby commented.

Emily stood still, her eyes not blinking at her computer screen. She knew that from her office there was absolutely nothing they could do. "Is there a way we can record this?"

Toby shrugged. "I don't think so, maybe call Donny?"

Emily reached for her phone and dialled in the Computer Crime Unit. A few seconds later she heard the ringing tone and a few seconds after that the phone was answered by a gentle voice. "Donny Penn. Computer Crimes Unit."

"Donny, it's Emily."

"Hey Fields, how can I help you?"

"Is there a way I can record a live stream that I'm watching on my computer right now?"

Donny laughed on the other end of the phone. "Jee Fields, is she that hot?"

"Is there a way or not?" Emily's tone knocked the laughter out of Donny's voice.

"No, but I can do it from here, I have the correct software." Emily gave him the sequence of numbers and dots that she had been given earlier.

"An IP address?" Donny asked.

"Yep, aren't they traceable?"

"Yeah, that's their main purpose. I can tell you the location of the source computer."

Emily frowned. She didn't think the caller would make a silly mistake like that but it was all she had to go on. "Start a trace and let me know as soon as possible." She put the phone down.

When Emily turned her head back to the computer screen the water was already reaching the mans waist. Emily guessed that within another two minutes the man would be completely underwater. Alison had her head tucked against her shoulder and she gave the blonde's back a reassuring rub.

The water reached the man's stomach, he was still flailing around in the container but Emily could see the fight slowly fading from him. He was shivering uncontrollably, Emily imagined it was from the fear and from the water temperature. There was nothing the three of them could say or do, so they all went silent, watching death rise around the man inch by inch.

The water reached the man's chest and the camera slowly zoomed in on his face, he was crying. He was giving up. Emily recognised that look, the look of desperation when you knew you weren't going to come out alive.

_But sometimes you do come out alive._

"I can't watch this," Alison said as she turned fully so Emily's arm draped across her front instead of her back, Toby's eyes flickered towards them but he stayed silent.

The water reached the man's chin, Emily saw him draw in a large breath, waiting for the water to completely submerge him. Then without any warning the water stopped. Emily and Toby looked at each other for a second and then looked back at the screen.

"Fuck, it was a fucking hoax," Toby said. A nervous smile on his face. "A bunch of idiots playing pranks on us!"

Emily wasn't so sure. Then her phone rang again. The shrill of it cut through the silence like thunder rolling through the sky.

"You are very clever, detective Fields." The caller said. "Once you realised that there was no way you could save him you picked what seemed to be the less scary, less painful and the quicker death of the two choices I gave you."

Emily said nothing.

"Not to mention the evidence you could collect. But I was prepared for your choice and I planned accordingly." Emily looked at the computer, the man had stopped crying and he looked around the room as if waiting for the penny to drop.

"Keep watching detectives you are about to watch the show of all shows." There was proudness to the caller's voice. The line went dead and then it rang again as soon as she had put the phone down.

"Is this for real?" Donny asked.

"There's no reason to think that it isn't right now," Emily admitted, her arm tightened around Alison, the blonde was looking over her shoulder at the screen. "Do you have a trace?"

"Not yet."

"Don't call back until you do."

Her focus switched back to the screen and she noticed the water level was decreasing rapidly. The water had drained within seconds and then the man was stuck in the empty glass container alone.

"What the fuck is going on?" Toby asked.

Emily shook her head and shrugged, her attention never leaving the screen. She watched closely as the camera zoomed in a little and then there was a burst of light on the screen as fire filled the container. She felt a knot tighten in her throat and looked over at Toby.

The phone on Emily's desk rang again. It was Donny. "Please tell me you managed to trace it?" Emily asked.

She already knew the answer. "I did but it's no use. It's coming from Prague. Whoever the guy is, he is good. He's either hacked the IP or stole it, basically it's untraceable."

Emily thanked Donny and then put the phone down. "We can't get him through the IP address."

Emily couldn't see anything on the screen for smoke, she didn't want to think about what was happening behind the cloud of it. She rubbed her face with her free hand, she had never felt so helpless in her life. She couldn't find any words and yet her and Toby couldn't look away from the screen.

A few seconds later a message flashed up on the computer screen. '_I hope you enjoyed the show Detectives.'_

_- x -_

They had pushed tables together and used the bank's old break room as their meeting area. It smelled like a multicultural food cart. A couple of them had hot dogs, Emily had a half eaten burger and Toby and a few others had a burrito. Alison had a sandwich.

She'd asked to cover the case and Emily had agreed after talking about it with her superior, arguing that if they had someone on the inside it would control some of the stories that were bound to emerge when people got wind of what had happened.

Toby and Callahan sat across the table. Spencer stood next to a dry erase board that was hung on the wall – there was nothing written on it. Alison was next to Emily, her notebook on the table, a few scribbles on it from when she had attempted to help bat ideas around with them. Emily had her chair pushed back so she could put her feet on the table.

They had watched the internet footage and listened to the telephone recording on loop. Donny had supplied the room with the software application that allowed them to advance the footage frame by frame. And that's exactly what they had all been doing for the past eight hours, analyzing every inch of every frame, looking for anything that could give them a clue.

Emily looked up from her thoughts. They were all staring at her, waiting.

"Sorry," she said. "I am listening."

"There must be a way to trace the IP address. There must be with all the technology nowadays, there must be a loop hole," Callahan said and Emily shook her head.

"There isn't. Donny is the best we have, if he can't find a loop hole to trace it then neither can we."

"But surely there must be something he can do."

Emily closed her eyes in resignation. She couldn't talk to a man when he was thinking like a man. He wanted there to be a loophole in tracing the IP address, therefore that meant that there was a loophole in tracing the IP address. Penis is genius.

"There isn't." The scar on Emily's chest itched for the first time in weeks. She rubbed at her shirt with her hand before she looked at the ceiling. She noticed Toby looking across the table at her strangely when she lowered her head.

"Are you okay?" Toby asked.

"Yeah," Emily replied, "why?"

"You're bleeding," Alison said softly.

Emily looked down at the left side of her chest. Spots of crimson stained her white shirt, her scar was bleeding again.

"Jesus, Em." Toby said.

"It's nothing," Emily said quickly, covering the blood with her hand. "It's just the cold." She pushed her chair out again and stood up.

"There's no point in us being here tonight. Until there's a Missing Person's Report on someone matching the man's description there is nothing we can do, the footage is not going to give us any clues. Go home and get rest because I have a feeling that this is just the beginning."

_- x -_

"Are you okay, Ali?" Emily asked as they walked towards her car. The blonde had been pretty quiet throughout the day. Emily couldn't blame her really.

"I just can't believe this morning…" Alison trailed off and Emily nodded her understanding.

The light of day was fading quickly and Emily knew by the time they got back to her apartment it would be dark. "Are you staying over tonight?"

Alison nodded. "If you want me to, but can you drop me off home first? I want to grab new clothes and my laptop, I have a feeling I may have a lot of writing to do over the next few days if this is just the start."

Emily kissed her before she shut the car door. A slow, sensual kiss that reminded Alison that not everything in the world was bad and evil. There were good things around and in her life they good things came in the form of Emily's lips. She placed her hand on Emily's shirt, the blood had dried up. "Let me wash that out when I come over, I doubt you know how to. Most people don't."

"I don't," Emily admitted with a smile. "You sure you are okay?"

Alison nodded and kissed Emily again, her arms wrapped around the brunette's neck, she didn't care who saw them. "I will be better when I'm back at your apartment with you."

_- x -_

Emily pulled into one of the parking spots in front of her building. She got out and made her way to the entry door of her apartment building, the heat inside it was a welcome relief. The receptionist gave her a small wave and a smile as she hit the elevator button several times, even though she knew it wouldn't make it go faster.

The doors to the elevator opened and Emily stepped inside and pressed the button for her floor, the elevator's metal walls were shiny and reflected her blurry image, she could see the red spots of blood on her shirt. It smelled like it had just been cleaned out, Emily could taste the washing solution in the air.

The doors were just about to close when a hand pushed them open. And when they opened fully Emily found herself face to face with her upstairs neighbour. She was dressed in her gym clothes again, Emily guessed that she had used the one in the building, she only had on a pair of leggings and a vest top that didn't cover very much of her. Her sneakers were bright pink.

"Hi," Amelia said. She stepped into the elevator next to Emily and the doors creaked shut. She didn't press her floor.

"Do you want me to press a floor for you?" Emily asked.

"You already did, I can just walk upstairs from your floor." Amelia answered with a smile. The elevator groaned and then started moving upwards.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, Emily allowed her to step out first, trying to avoid getting into any kind of conversation, she really wasn't in the mood for that.

"You should put cold salted water on your shirt, it will help break down the protein in the blood." Amelia said as she walked out the elevator, Emily glanced at her shirt and then back towards her neighbour as Amelia walked out in front.

"Why did you move here again?" Emily asked as she stepped out the elevator.

Amelia looked at Emily for a moment and then padded forward until she was right in front of her. Emily could smell the sweetness of her perfume between them, it was too sweet, sickening even. It wasn't like Ali's. She didn't like it.

"You're the detective," Amelia said. "Remember the salted water, it will help." Emily frowned as Amelia stepped back and walked off in the direction of the stairs, her water bottle tucked under her arm. The vest she was wearing covered the heart tattoo this time.

_- x -_

Emily hovered behind Alison as the blonde stood at her kitchen sink. "What are you doing with my shirt?"

"Cold salty water. My Mom had to do it for my brother Jason when he was younger, he was always bumping his knees and head and stuff."

Apart from the picture Emily had seen in Ali's house she'd never heard her talk about him in any form. "Are you guys close? You and your brother I mean. It's just you never talk about him."

Alison wrung the shirt out over the sink before she turned in Emily's direction and shrugged. "When we were younger kind of, but he got involved in alcohol and drugs. He's clean now but he stays in Seattle and we hardly ever see him. Just at the holidays really."

Emily nodded gently before she pulled Alison in for a cuddle, the blonde looked like she could do with one. She tucked Ali's head underneath her chin and smiled when she heard Ali exhale against her chest. She rubbed gentle circles on her back until Alison pulled away from her.

"I need to go for a shower," Emily announced as she kissed Alison forehead and turned to head towards the bathroom.

"Em," Alison called, "Can I come with you?"

The brunette nodded softly before she extended her hand. She led Alison into the bathroom and switched on the hot water, testing it a few times before turning her attention back onto the blonde.

She leaned down and pressed her lips against Ali's, only pulling away when she tugged on the blonde's shirt, pulling it over Ali's head and discarding it on the floor. She ran her index finger underneath the black bra strap, freeing it from the skin on Ali's shoulder so it hung at the top of her arm. She repeated the motion with the other arm.

Alison swallowed thickly. "I haven't been with a woman before. Well I know the other night counts for me but I mean me doing things to you."

Emily looked her in the eyes, blue eyes that were swirling with heat, uncertainty and something much softer. "I know, and you don't have to do anything until you are ready."

"I am ready… but just after this morning I just want to be close to you," Alison said, almost embarrassed at her admission. She was a twenty six year old woman frightened at some crazy cyber crime that she couldn't do anything about.

"I understand that babe," Emily answered as she pressed a kiss onto the blonde's shoulder and pushed the events of this morning to the back of her mind. Emily moved her hands lower and unclasped the button on Ali's jeans, curling her hands around the waistband and helping the blonde wiggle out of them.

Emily undressed herself before she stepped under the hot water and she held her hand out so Alison could climb in beside her. Alison leaned up to kiss her as the water cascaded around them, the initial warmth of it stung their skin. She felt the brunette pull her hips impossibly closer.

"Do you really think this guy is just getting started?" Alison asked as she pooled her arms around Emily's neck and pressed her head against Emily's naked chest, enjoying the sound of Emily's heartbeat underneath. She could see the love heart scar out the corner of her eye.

Emily sighed as she wrapped her own arms around Ali's waist. "I'm not going to lie to you Ali, I have a feeling that this could turn into a nightmare."

"Why do you think that?" Alison asked as the water continued to fall around them. That was the only sensation; the water and Emily underneath her. She didn't know which was more comforting.

"Whoever he was, he was calm throughout everything, except for when he yelled at me to make a choice. He smashed that phone against something repeatedly and then when I told him he didn't have to do it."

Alison nodded, she remembered. "He said that he wanted to do it."

"Exactly," Emily said. "And that could mean that whoever the guy in the container was, was a complete randomer."

"So this guy could be another crazy psychopath, just locking people up in glass boxes for fun?" Alison asked.

"We don't know yet," Emily replied. "The problem is when I said I couldn't make a decision because I didn't know why he had the man he told me that I would find out for myself."

"And?"

"And that would suggest that the victim wasn't a complete random choice. That whatever the reason was I'm going to find out."

"So the caller was literally fucking with us?"

"I don't know yet, Ali. I really don't," Emily said again as she held the blonde tighter. Despite the morbid conversation she couldn't help but think how natural it felt to hold a naked Alison DiLaurentis in her arms. Even with all her scars on show for the blonde to see.

_- x -_

The sound of her phone ringing woke Emily with a start. Her first thought was that middle of the night phone calls were getting really old. Her second thought was that they must have gotten a Missing Person's Report matching the description of the man from the container. She disengaged herself from Alison's naked body and leaned over to the bed side table and grabbed her phone.

"Who is this?"

"It's Jack Prentiss down at Muncy, it's about Jessica." Emily closed her eyes as she listened to Jack, she didn't think things could get any worse. She had a new psychopath to deal with while the old one was banged up. But apparently it could get worse.

She shook her head in the darkness as Alison stirred against her. She felt the blonde turn onto her back, her blue eyes penetrating through the dark room like the darkness wasn't there.

"Okay, I will be right there," Emily replied sullenly as she hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Alison mumbled sleepily.

"Jack Prentiss. Jessica managed to get into an altercation with another prisoner. She was hurt so I have to go down there because she won't say who done it and they don't want it to be a regular occurrence obviously. You don't have to go though, so go back to sleep." Emily leaned down and pressed a kiss onto Alison's bare shoulder.

"Don't be silly, Em. I'm coming with you," Alison replied as she leaned over and flicked the light on, the room became awash with weak light. Alison looked at her phone, it was just leaving one in the morning. "How did she manage to get into an altercation with someone?"

Emily shook her head. "I have no idea. Are you sure you want to come with me? You don't have to."

Alison tilted her head. "If you're going there then I am too. As long as I can wear that blue baseball jacket I spied in your wardrobe, it's freezing out there and I really want to wear one of your jackets outside for some reason."

Despite the situation Emily laughed gently. "Wear what you want, Ali. But you're not going to see her, let me handle it. You can wait with Jack."

_- x -_

Emily stared into the darkness of Jessica's cell through the window in the door. The hall lights made a rectangular shape on the floor, the corridor was cold. Emily glanced down at Alison who was sitting with Jack, she gave Emily a little nod before Emily pushed down on the handle.

"Are you awake?" Emily asked.

"Yes," Jessica said.

The light switch sat just inside the door. Emily flipped it on and the rectangular shape on the floor disappeared as the room was bathed in a sick institutional yellow colour.

Jessica was lying on her back in bed and Emily had the feeling that she'd been lying there a long time awake in the dark. A bandage covered part of her neck. Whoever she had had the altercation with wasn't messing around. Going right for the jugular.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Emily said sarcastically.

Jessica didn't react to that, but then again Emily wasn't close enough to see any small facial expression changes. "I haven't seen you in a little while sweetheart," she said. She turned her head and looked at Emily. "I wasn't expecting you, no one came to chain me up to the interview room."

Emily walked over to her, Jessica scooted over a little on the bed and then propped herself up on her elbows. Emily sat down on the edge of the bed, she was careful to keep her distance. Jessica's hand ran down her shoulder to her arm.

"Tell me about your day."

Emily tensed as she shrugged her arm free. "I'm not here for this. Who done this to you Jessica?"

Her skin was clear and her green eyes were razor sharp. "It doesn't matter and it is irrelevant."

"How did it even happen? No one is allowed access to you. You even get escorted to the showers alone."

Jessica rolled her eyes dramatically. "You'd be surprised at what people in this prison can be manipulated to do."

Emily was unsure at what Jessica was getting at. She looked around the sad, melancholic room. It made her feel unwell. "Was this really the best strategy you had? Ending up in here?"

Jessica shrugged and settled back onto her elbows. "It's better than the lethal injection sweetheart."

"Why? Are you worried the angels won't be there to greet you when it's your time?"

Jessica blinked and then looked away. Emily couldn't tell if she was genuinely feeling something or if she was just faking it. When she looked back at Emily, her green eyes were softer. "Lie next to me," she said.

Emily glanced at the door. This was going far too far, Alison was at the other end of the corridor. She ran her hand through her hair. She could feel the weight of Jessica's gaze on her. "No. I can't do that."

"So, you really are seeing her now," Jessica stated plainly. Emily knew she was just trying to throw her off balance. "I want you to be happy, Emily."

Emily laughed as she stood up. "No you don't Jessica, and I'm not wasting anymore time with this. If you aren't going to tell me then there's nothing I can do."

Jessica smiled and sat up. She ran her finger over the bottom of Emily's abdomen, over her jacket, right where the scar was. Where her appendix used to be.

"You should have had me tied up in the interview room," she said. "I could kill you Emily, you never know when I might have a sharpened toothbrush tucked under my mattress or a razor blade hidden up my sleeve."

"Why kill me now?" Emily asked. "It would seem very anti climatic don't you think?"

She moved her hand back to Emily's abdomen and then ran her hand lower over the silver belt buckle that adorned the brunette's jeans. Emily put her hand on Jessica's wrist.

"No. I won't tell you that again."

Jessica pulled her hand away and looked up at Emily with large green eyes. "I didn't plan it you know," she said and then she tilted her head. "Our relationship. I just wanted to get involved in he investigation and what better way to do that than by sleeping with the lead detective."

"Is that meant to make me feel better or something?" Emily asked sincerely.

Jessica pondered the question. "It should probably make you feel worse. If I had planned it, you'd be dead by now. Just another victim."

"But this way I'm the guilty one for everything I done with you?"

"We are all guilty, Emily."

Emily yawned and rubbed her face. "I don't know why I came here. You're not going to tell me so there's no point in this."

She turned and headed for the door. A tiny part of her worried that maybe Jessica really did have a razor blade tucked up her sleeve and was just about to plunge it into her. But when she turned around Jessica was still sitting in the same position. A picture of poise apart from the harsh bandage on her neck.

"I will see you soon sweetheart." Emily heard her say as she closed the door.

_- x -_

Emily sat on the window seat, staring out of the living room. Alison sat in between her legs and they were both laid out. Emily's back was against the arm of the seat supporting both of them, her head was resting on Alison's. They hadn't spoken much since they had gotten home from the prison. A blanket had been thrown lazily over them.

"Em?" Alison queried. "Are you okay?"

The blonde's voice pulled her from her daydream. "Yeah, I'm okay, Alison."

"You don't seem it."

Emily adjusted herself so Alison could see her if she tilted her head back. "Trust me, Ali. I'm okay babe."

"Did she say much?" Alison asked as she pulled Emily's right arm over her chest so she could clasp their hands together.

"Nope, she said it was irrelevant who hurt her. But it made me realise something."

"What's that?" Alison asked.

"That I was super glad that I was going home with you," Alison squeezed her hand gently before she stood up. "What are you doing?"

"I know we are not going back to bed so I need to get comfy here," Alison said as she lay down on top of Emily, her head resting on the brunette's chest. "I'm going to fall asleep soon and it's better this way." She smiled when she felt Emily's arms wrap around her.

_- x -_

It didn't matter how tightly she closed her eyes, Emily couldn't get back to sleep. She couldn't stop the previous day's images from playing on a loop inside her head. She knew sleep was never going to happen. Questions were being thrown at her from every corner of her mind and so far she had no answers.

The only comfort was the warm body pressed against her. Ali's breathing had evened out long ago and the blonde hadn't moved an inch since.

_Why the torture?_ She thought to herself. She knew that it took a certain type of person to be able to torture another human being. Very few could do it when it came down to it but the caller had had no problem with it. The second question trampled through her mind like a bulldozer_. Why the choice game?_ Why had the caller gone through the trouble of creating a Perspex box especially for that reason?

Emily ground her jaw and tried in vain to fight the guilt that was eating away at her. There was no doubt in her mind that the caller had played her. The option was always going to be fire, she kicked herself for not foreseeing it even though she knew there was nothing they could do.

The ringing of her phone dragged her away from her thoughts. She blinked a couple of times as if just waking up from a bad dream. She carefully reached for the phone that sat on the wooden table next to the window seat. It vibrated against the wood one more time before Emily answered it.

Toby's name popped up on the caller ID and she checked the time. It was five minutes past five in the morning. Whatever it was, Emily knew it wouldn't be good news. Alison stirred against her and she knew their day was just about to start.

* * *

><p><em>New crime. Emison. Amelia. Jessica. I really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! <em>


	18. Sticks 'n' Stones

_I love writing this story and I love hearing back from you guys but it is impossible to please everyone so just keep that in mind. Lots of you want more crime scene Emily, other people were disappointed in it or found it boring so yeah it's just hard to please everyone and I really do try and take everything on board so I've tried to kind of keep some investigative element to it while trying to pull more Emison into it. That's the best I can do with it. So if you enjoy it awesome and if you don't I apologise but there's not much I can really do. Also a flashback in here since we haven't had one in a few chapters!_

* * *

><p>Emily ignored the headache that was building at the back of her skull while the feeling of nausea rolled over her stomach. It wasn't work that was causing it, she just felt ill. The kind of ill that made people stay in bed for the day and not look at anyone if they could help it. She wanted to be doing that.<br>_  
><em>"Why leave the guy's body in the alleyway?" Alison asked. "If he'd let all of him burn away he wouldn't have had to worry about you guys finding any evidence."

Toby ran his hand over his mouth as Emily looked down at the blonde who was sitting in her office chair. "Because the caller wants to make sure that we take him seriously," Emily replied. "Without a body we had no proof that what we saw yesterday wasn't just a hoax or a prank."

"Or a graphics trick for that matter, people can do all sorts on the internet nowadays," Toby added.

"He meant for us to find the victim fast, look at the location. A back alleyway served by several shops. Whoever the caller was knew that," Emily said as she looked back at Alison.

"So he gives us the body to prove that the whole thing wasn't staged," Toby stated as he hopped off the end of Emily's desk.

Emily nodded her head. "Exactly. Because we now know that it was real. But now we have to wait for him to be identified, they are running his DNA through the system. With any luck he will be on there and we will get a match."

From the corner of Emily's office the printer kicked into gear, a grinding of mechanics all working together. A sheet of paper was spat out from it noisily. Toby stood then collected the printout from the printer and from the corner of her eye Emily saw Toby's face light up as he read what was on the sheet.

"What is it Toby?" Emily asked.

Toby showed the sheet of paper to Emily. It was a black and white photo of a man in his late twenties. His brown hair was spiky in the middle and his face was chiseled handsomely around the edges. In the photo he had a bit of a spaced out look about him. Emily's eyes widened in recognition.

She would recognise that face anywhere, she'd stared at it on the computer for hours and there was no doubt in her mind that the man in the photograph their victim from yesterday. Emily finally blinked. "Where did this come from Toby?"

"Missing Person's just sent it over," Toby said as he lifted another sheet of paper from the printer. Emily's eyes returned to the photo.

"Who is he?" Alison asked, she was still sitting on Emily's desk chair.

"James Stanton. Reported missing two days ago when he didn't come home from work," Emily said. "It took the Missing Person's face recognition until now to match the picture. Twenty eight and lived with his wife, he worked at a video game store."

Emily checked her watch. It was just leaving five in the evening. "Okay, get all the usual kind of checks on him and we will see what that brings."

"I will tell Callahan and Rachel to get on it," Toby said. "Are you okay Em?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just feel a bit ill," Emily admitted as she ran her hand through her hair. "I have a headache coming on and I just feel ill."

Toby glanced between Emily and Alison. "Go home and get some rest it's getting late anyway, I will go and talk to Mrs Stanton myself. If anything useful or crucial comes up I will call you."

* * *

><p><em>"This is Jessica Jackson."<em>

_Emily is sitting in her office and she looks up to see Mayor Johnstone standing in the doorway with a gorgeous brunette. She is maybe the most beautiful woman Emily has ever seen. She's wearing a delicate red dress that falls just above her knees and it highlights the curve of her hips. The woman crosses her legs at the ankles as she leans against the door jamb. Her face is perfectly symmetrical._

_"Jessica," Johnstone says with a toothy grin. "This is Emily Fields."_

_"Detective," she says and she offers Emily an elegant hand._

_"She's a Forensic Psychologist," Johnstone explains, "She thinks she can help us catch this guy."_

_"We already have a profiler here, a very good one at that," Emily replies as she looks straight at the woman's green eyes._

_Johnstone laughs in her direction. "She's not after Spencer's job, don't worry." Johnstone suddenly taps his pocket and pulls out a phone. He holds his finger up in their direction and then leaves the room with the phone pressed to his ear._

_Emily sighs and Jessica Jackson doesn't move. She just looks at Emily and smiles. This is all Emily needs, the Mayor's latest conquest hanging around the biggest investigation of most of their careers._

_"How do you know Johnstone?" Emily asks._

_Jessica tilts her head and pushes her body away from the door jamb, her heels make her hips sway. "I can be of use to you Emily, a lot of use. You've been at this for what, three years now?"_

_"Some of us have been, ye,." Emily answers._

_"By the way, I'm not sleeping with him," Jessica says._

_Emily coughs. She glances out her office door towards the Mayor, but he is still on the phone in a heated conversation with someone._

_"Not that it's any of your business anyway."_

_Emily shakes her head. "No, of course not."_

_Jessica spins the open file on Emily's desk around to face her and picks up an autopsy photo of the latest victim. It's not a pretty sight. Her green eyes widen as she looks over the content. "I heard about this guy in the news."_

_She sits on the edge of Emily's desk and fans out all the photos in a neat row. After a few minutes she places a perfectly painted red nail on one of the photos. "What are these marks?"_

_Emily glances down. "Part of the skull was shaved down."_

_Jessica's green eyes are suddenly huge and animated like she's hit the jackpot. She grins and gives the photo a happy tap. "Amativeness," she says simply._

_Emily looks down at the photo and feels a pulse of excitement in her neck. It has been months since they have had any sort of good lead and right now she will take anything she can get. "Amativeness?" she questions the other brunette curiously._

_Jessica takes her hand, bends her head down and then lifts Emily's hand to her head to illustrate. The electricity flows between them like a spiky current. It's all kinds of alluring and Emily has to swallow thickly._

_"This spot here," Jessica says, moving Emily's fingers gently in her hair between her ear and neck. "It's the amativeness module and it links with sexual attraction."_

_Emily pulls her hand away and clears her throat. Jessica sweeps her hair back and lifts her head, eyes sparkling in Emily's direction. "All that fury and you still think this killer is a man?"_

_Emily looks at Jessica Jackson, just a few feet away from her, and she knows that she can't allow Jessica into this investigation. She will just have to tell Johnstone no. It's too risky, but not in the way that she first thought._

* * *

><p>Emily woke, suppressing a groan. Her breath came hard and her heart was beating fast in her chest. Her skin felt cold yet damp with sweat. She wrapped her arms around herself but it didn't help. She shivered uncontrollably as she pushed the dream of Jessica out of her head. <em>It's because you saw her last night. You shouldn't have gone there. <em>She sat still in her bed for ten minutes before she decided to get up.

She could hear the noise of Alison in the living room, the faint murmur of the TV floating down the hallway and into her bedroom. She leaned over and grabbed her phone – seven minutes past nine in the evening. She had been asleep for three hours. There were no missed calls from Toby so she assumed nothing major had happened at James Stanton's house.

She swung her legs out of bed and grabbed her hoodie that was hanging on the back of her bedroom door, it was plain black and it was the one she wore around her apartment. She threw her hair up and opened the bedroom door, squinting slightly when the hallway light hit her face.

She padded into the living room, Alison was off to her left hand side in the kitchen. She could smell toast. "Hey, it's me," Emily said quietly as Ali turned in her direction.

The blonde was dressed in her bed clothes. A long t-shirt and sweatpants. Emily couldn't remember when that had happened. The last time she had seen Alison she had been wearing her skinny jeans and a long reddish coloured top.

"You look a lot better," Alison offered. "I was just making some toast, do you want some?" Emily nodded before she walked around the kitchen counter and next to Ali. She placed her right hand on the blonde's hip.

"Here you can have these two slices, they are still soft. I know how you like white toast," Alison said with a smile as she placed the two slices of toast onto the red square plate. _  
><em>  
>"When did you get ready for bed?" Emily asked as she picked up the plate.<p>

Alison shrugged. "About an hour or so ago? You were asleep so I just left you be. I didn't want to wake you up." Emily could vaguely remember the faint press of lips against her forehead.

"You kissed me didn't you?" She watched Ali's face twitch slightly at being caught. "It's okay, I can kind of remember it. It was nice of you to do it." She smiled back at the blonde who looked more relieved than embarrassed.

They ate in relative silence as the TV played on in the background. Emily could feel herself becoming more alert with every bite she took of her toast, she had hoped that whatever she had would just be a twenty four hour thing and it looked as if that was going to be the case.

"Want to sit in the window seat?" Alison asked as she lifted their plates and headed towards the kitchen. "I always like looking out at the view at night."

Emily nodded softly. "You just like being pressed up against me," the brunette joked as Alison placed their plates in the sink.

"Do you want water brought over?" Alison asked as she reached inside the fridge, Emily nodded before she made her way over towards the window.

The night's dark blue sky had given way to cloud cover that hung low over Rosewood. Emily looked down below and saw no one out walking in the street, it was getting too cold for being out at night. She had a feeling it was going to be a brutal winter. She could feel the start of another headache brewing at the base of her neck.

"I will be right back, just going to get painkillers to stop this new headache from advancing anymore." She said to Ali as the blonde approached. She kissed Ali's forehead before she made her way down the hallway and into the bathroom.

_- x -_

She opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a large amber prescription bottle marked Vicodin. She tapped out two into her palm. She hadn't used many of them since Alison had arrived on the scene, the blonde was like a pain remedy all on her own. Her own kind of prescription. Emily smiled before she grimaced as the chalky Vicodin coated her tongue. Alison definitely tasted better than the pills.

Her pretty brass pillbox sat on the shelf next to the skyline of plastic medication bottles. She gave it a little shake, surprised when something inside it rattled. She opened it up to find two Vicodin still in there. She ran her fingers over the familiar contours of it. Then she swallowed hard and placed the pillbox back onto the shelf.

Emily walked back into the living room to find Alison leaning on her elbows and knees on the window seat. Something outside had apparently caught her attention.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked as she pressed her front against Ali's back before she leaned down and pressed a kiss onto the blonde's cheek. She couldn't see Alison smiling but she knew that the blonde was.

"Your upstairs neighbour was in a very heated conversation with someone in a car down there," Alison stated simply as she awkwardly turned so she was kneeling forwards. She had to look up at Emily as she spoke. "She didn't look amused."

Amelia was a puzzle to Emily. She didn't quite understand why anyone would want to move from California to Rosewood and the tattoo bothered her, it made something in her stomach flutter. But she didn't know if she was being over attentive or just plain paranoid. It wouldn't matter anyway, Emily had no intentions of being anything other than neighbours.

"You really don't like her do you?" Emily asked as she gazed down at brilliant blue eyes.

"I told you, I don't like people who tan in winter. You can't trust they kind of people," Alison replied with a sweet smile, it was so transparent Emily could literally see through it.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all it is," Emily said with a smirk as she climbed onto the couch next to Alison. She was surprised when the blonde surged forward slightly, trapping Emily underneath her. A knee pressed either side of her thighs. Her headache was gone.

"It is," Alison assured as she leaned down to press her lips against Emily's, revelling at the warmth of Emily's mouth against her own. She'd missed kissing the brunette today.

Emily tangled her hand into blonde hair, as her other hand found Ali's ass. The blonde let out a playful squeal at the rough handling and then she put her hand on the brunette's chest to push away. "You're ill remember?"

Emily tilted her head. "Yeah, but this helps with that a lot and I don't think what I had is contagious."

Her concern about Emily being ill quickly disappeared when Emily dragged them both down onto the window seat, the brunette was still pinned beneath her. Alison couldn't help the soft moan of delight as Emily's tongue and lips moved against her own.

Emily could feel the heat course through her body as Alison demonstrated her dominance. She balled the front of Ali's t-shirt in a tight fist and reveled in the desire caused by the blonde's display of power.

She adjusted her legs to allow Alison in between them, their lips never separating as Ali's tongue expertly swept inside her mouth. She arched her back and wrapped her leg around the blonde's hips, pulling them as close as possible. Emily had never felt this closeness with another woman before and Alison had never felt this closeness with another human being before.

"I don't want to do this wrong," Alison mumbled as she finally pulled her lips away from the brunette's mouth, Emily could see her red flushed cheeks and her lips that were parted in exertion.

"You can't," Emily said as she looked up at the blonde, she wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and pressed their lips gently together. "I promise, you can't do it wrong."

Alison nodded and lowered her head to Emily's neck, her tongue and teeth grazed over the sensitive skin as she rolled her hips down harder onto Emily. Her hand found it's way lower and she hesitated at the waistband of Emily's sweatpants before Emily's hand guided her own inside of them.

"You can't do it wrong Ali," Emily reassured her as her breathing became quicker at the thought of being touched by the blonde.

As her hand slipped beneath Emily's underwear, she was met with the unfamiliar slick heat of the brunette. Alison couldn't quite get over the feeling of knowing that she caused Emily Fields' body to react in that way. Emily's hand pulled gently at her face and Alison pressed their lips back together eagerly as two of her fingers slipped inside the brunette. _Keep it simple for your first time. _

She felt Emily gasp softly into her mouth as the brunette lifted her hips slightly. Alison picked up the pace of her fingers as she sucked and nipped at Emily's neck, it appeared the brunette had a weak spot there and she planned on taking full advantage of it.

"Oh, God," Emily murmured as she shifted her hips quickly against the rhythm of Alison's fingers. Faster. Harder. Alison bit down on Emily's shoulder and she could feel the sheen of sweat on the brunette's skin underneath her. It done nothing but encourage her.

She nipped at Emily's neck and felt the brunette tighten around her fingers. Alison couldn't explain the feeling of it, for being a journalist she had no words to explain the feeling of making Emily come undone under her fingers.

"Fuck," Emily moaned as Alison curled her fingers inside.

With one final thrust, Emily clenched around her fingers and she captured Emily's mouth in her own, silencing a moan that she desperate wanted to hear but was more than happy to taste. She kept her fingers inside the brunette until brown eyes finally flickered opened and met her own.

Their foreheads were pressed together and both of them were breathing quickly. Ali's lips were inches from her own and Emily was pretty sure that she was in a whole different world to anyone else.

"Did I do okay?" Ali asked quietly, uncertainty swirled in her eyes and there was a nervous hint to her tone.

"You were incredible," Emily answered truthfully as she curled her hand around the blonde's neck and drew her closer.

None of them heard the small thud against the apartment door before the footsteps walked away.

_- x -_

Alison turned the tap off as the toothpaste disappeared down the sink. When she was finished she tiptoed back into bed, certain that Emily had fallen back to sleep. She slid under the covers not wanting to disturb the brunette.

She took the opportunity to look down at Emily as she slept. There was an eyelash on her cheek and Alison used a gentle finger to wipe it away before she leaned over and turned the light off.

Emily's face was perfect. Every perfect feature only served the purpose of enhancing another. Perfect cheekbones, a perfect nose and perfect lips that Ali knew were going to know every inch of her. Inside and out.

"Emily Fields what are you doing to me?" Alison whispered to herself. "I've only known you for like two months and all I can think about is how much I want to go to sleep with you every night and wake up with you everyday."

"I could ask you the same question."

Alison froze as she heard Emily's soft voice filter through the darkness. "I, um, I … " Alison couldn't finish her sentence. She couldn't see herself but she could tell that her face was beet red. She was probably glowing in the dark. She'd said too much. _You idiot, Ali. _

Emily opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbow, she could see the outline of the blonde's silhouette. Alison had turned to face her and even in the darkness she could see the horrified expression on the blonde's face at being caught. She leaned forward to give a worried face a reassuring kiss.

"Have I said too much?" Alison whispered against Emily's lips.

"No, but we should talk about that kind of stuff and I'm not the best at it. In fact I'm terrible at it," Emily replied.

Alison nodded into the darkness. "Me neither, I never could say how I felt properly. I'm awful at it too."

Emily laughed. "Well, I'm glad we got that cleared up then." She shifted forward so her head was on Ali's chest for a change. The blonde's arms wrapped easily around her.

The sound of Ali's heartbeat was steady. Rhythmic. Comforting. Right there, in her bedroom, there was nothing she needed more than Alison. A terrifying yet exciting prospect. A prospect, she suspected, was going to be there for the long haul. Alison began stroking her hair and then her back and then she kissed Emily's hair.

_- x -_

Emily hung up the phone on Toby before she poured herself and Ali a coffee. The blonde still hadn't emerged from her bedroom, the five minutes she had told Emily had now turned into fifteen and counting. She shook her head before she brought her coffee to her lips.

Toby had gone to see Mrs Stanton and explained what had happened, the worst part was that James Stanton had a two-year-old daughter. A two year old that would never get to see her Dad again because of a raving lunatic who liked to broadcast things online. The interview with James Stanton's wife had turned up nothing out of the ordinary. They were still looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Good morning," Ali said as she finally sauntered into the living room. She picked up her coffee and blushed slightly when she noticed Emily staring at her. "What are you looking at me for?"

Emily considered the question. "This sounds cheesy, believe me I know, but you are beautiful." Emily admitted quietly.

"That was cheesy," Alison replied honestly, "but it was incredibly sweet too, do you want to grab breakfast on our way?"

Emily nodded as she grabbed her car keys. Her ill feeling of yesterday seemed like a lifetime ago. Emily opened the apartment door and frowned when a clear bottle of liquid tumbled away from her door and into the middle of the corridor, there was a white piece of paper on it trapped under a rubber band.

"What's that?" Ali asked as Emily picked up the bottle and unfurled the paper note. '_Salt water solution for your shirt in case you have forgotten - Amelia.' _Emily chewed her cheek as she opened the bottle and sniffed at the solution. It was definitely salt water.  
><em><br>_Alison rolled her eyes. "How did she know about your shirt?"

"She met me in the elevator yesterday when I got home," Emily answered as she screwed the white cap back onto the bottle.

"There's something about her I don't like," Alison said as she closed Emily's apartment door. "She's too friendly with you."

"Yeah, it is kind of weird," Emily admitted as she re read the note. "I didn't expect her to leave this. Why didn't she knock on the door?"

Alison shrugged as she took Emily's apartment keys in her hand and locked the door. "I told you, Em, people who tan in winter are not to be trusted."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I will take this stuff back to her when I get home tonight. But right now I need breakfast." Emily's stomach rumbled in perfect sync as if to highlight her point. Both of them laughed.

"Let me guess you're getting pancakes and bacon?" Alison asked as she slipped her hand into the back of Emily's jeans pocket.

"Of course," Emily answered. She put her arm around Alison's shoulders as they walked towards the elevators.

* * *

><p><em>I hope this chapter works a bit better for the people who wanted more Emison. It will be the last update for a few days, I feel awful and my tonsillitis is not getting any better I just feel blah. I was even taking the kind of negative reviews on the last chapter personal which is something I never ever do so I'm off to get better and then hopefully in a few days I will not feel so blah! Thank you for reading as always! <em>


	19. Nothing's Ever Really As It Seems

_I'm back and I feel much better so thank you for the lovely reviews and comments. I've had a long think about the story and I'm taking the liberty of moving it on a couple of weeks. The last crime isn't going to be a prominent arc, all of you want more Jessica/Emily and Alison so I'm going to try and get something that it involves all of them together. Maybe bring Jessica back into the crime element of it so she's involved with Ali again too. So the last crime was solved, it's not great in terms of writing but I feel it's better for this story on the whole so I hope you guys get it. Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

><p><em>Jessica is on top of her, straddling her, and her two fingers slip effortlessly inside the brunette. Emily gazes up at her, her senses painfully exquisite. Jessica's hand is fisted in her hair, pulling so hard that her head is pulled back against the leather of her desk chair.<em>

_Emily can barely breathe. They have been at this for over an hour. Strands of Jessica's own hair stick to the sides of her face but she's never looked more beautiful. The office window is open, Emily can hear the wind moving outside and the chair groans beneath them every time Jessica falls down onto her fingers._

_Emily's skin tingles with heat and pain blazes through her head but it's okay because it blurs out all her guilt and self-doubt about what her and Jessica are doing. There is just Jessica and the pain and the wall of bliss that slices through her like a blade. Jessica's face comes in and out of view every time she moves._

_Her breathing quickens, her skin glows, her eyes flutter closed. She grinds down on Emily's hand harder, her hand knotting tighter in Emily's hair and as she does so the pain and pleasure are so intermixed that they are indistinguishable. Jessica opens her mouth and moans silently, spots of colour appear on her cheeks._

_"Now," Jessica says._

_Emily curls her fingers harshly as she thrusts quickly. Jessica is writhing on top of her, her fist in Emily's hair, Emily can almost hear her hair snapping as Jessica pulls it. Her head is back at an angle that allows her to look at Jessica fully now._

_She curls over Emily, her eyelashes brushing Emily's cheek and she lets go of her hair. The sudden absence of the painful sensation is almost disorientating for Emily. She can feel Jessica's muscles contract around her, she jerks forward and falls against Emily, and Emily pulls her into her arms, staying inside her as Jessica twitches._

_When she lifts her head she's out of breath and Emily thinks Jessica's heart is beating just as furiously as her own. But Jessica is smiling at her, a sheen of saliva on her lips, her eyes sparkling in pleasure. She can't stop, Emily realises. Everything has changed. It's like having sex for the first time again._

_And Emily doesn't know if she will ever want to stop. She wants to rewind the clock and start it all over again when Jessica had first walked in her door over an hour ago._

_Then, somewhere, she hears something outside her door. She cranes her neck around Jessica's naked body that still sits on her lap. It's someone knocking on the door._

_"Emily, we may have something," Toby says._

_"Just a minute," she calls back. "I'm just getting changed."_

_Jessica brings her finger to her lips in a hushing motion and Emily smiles as she nods her head._

* * *

><p>"Back already sweetheart?" Jessica asked. "It's only been twelve days, I know you have more stamina than that, Emily. I haven't forgotten, you know." Emily ignored the sexual innuendo.<p>

Jessica was on her bed: sitting up, her legs folded in an elegant pose. Her back was straight edge, it always had been. Emily thought she had a back like a professional dancer. Her blue jumpsuit highlighted the shape of her body in an odd kind of way and a small white bandage still clung to the side of her throat.

"I've been seeing other psychopaths but now I'm here and my only question is why now?"

Jessica smiled at her. "I heard about that the internet guy, that was quite something. I was impressed with his creativeness as you can imagine, I'm always thinking of ways to improve my trade."

Emily sighed. "Ex trade and people like you two belong in prison. In fact we'd all be a lot safer with you shackled to a bed in a crazy house but no can do. They don't really know what to do with you in here either but do you know who they ask Jessica?" Jessica stared back at her blankly.

"Me," Emily said simply.

It hadn't been hard for Emily to get her name on the forms. Jessica had no family that they knew of but Emily knew there must be someone in the world that knew Jessica. She hadn't appeared from thin air. That was just wishful thinking. Someone somewhere shared her genetics.

"I decide what privileges you can handle, if you're allowed books in your cell, if you can be unrestrained when I see you. You have requested nothing until now, now you want books and your recorded internet privileges. So why now?"

"I've missed the outside world sweetheart, I would like to see what's going on in this big bad world. Keep an eye on the news."

Emily's eyes narrowed. "If I find out that you are up to something Jessica I will make sure everything stops and you will be on lock down everyday, twenty four hours a day for the rest of your existence."

Jessica smiled at her. "That's an awfully unkind thing to say to someone like me, I'm mentally ill apparently."

Emily scoffed. "I'm crazier than you are."

"Andrews says that I have to be insane, to do the things that I have done."

Emily nodded, drawing out the moment. Then she said, "I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on your privilege arrangements."

"Have you read it, Emily?" Jessica asked. Emily knew what she meant, the book with Jessica's face on it peeked out from underneath the thin prison issued grey blanket. Emily didn't think it would be much use at keeping the cold out in the winter.

"Why would I read it when I lived it?"

Jessica looked at her unimpressed. "I'm tired," she said, rolling over in her single bed so she was flat on her back

"I'm leaving anyway," Emily replied, heading towards the door. "I have things to do other than be here."

"Like Alison, how is she anyway?" Emily heard her ask. Emily stopped in her tracks; her hands were in her pockets. "Give her my love," Jessica added.

Emily spun around, took her hands out of her pockets and walked to the side of Jessica's bed. She could see Jessica looking up at her with green eyes that knew her so well. "Don't you ever say Alison's name again."

She waited for Jessica to say something, to taunt her, but she stayed silent, staring up at Emily intently. Looking at her straight in the eye, Emily swore she could see hurt flicker behind her green eyes, but before she could think about it too much she stepped away and headed towards the door.

_- x -_

After managing five and a half consecutive hours of sleep, fantastic by her standards after seeing Jessica, Emily walked into the living room at ten past seven in the morning. She flicked the TV on before she powered on her own MacBook. It was easy to tell apart from Ali's, the blonde kept hers in pristine condition, it was a shrine to her work. Emily liked that about her.

She booted up her laptop and waited as it loaded onto the homepage. She typed in Amazon and waited for the website to appear. Her hands hovered over the keyboard before she finally started to type what she wanted.

When she saw Jessica's face on the cover of the book, she clicked on it. _890 reviews._ 890 people had bothered to leave their reviews about the story of her capture. It wasn't even the true story, she knew that much. She'd refused to talk to anyone about it before Alison had come a long.

She clicked off it before she typed in Rosewood's daily news. It was the website that Jessica had visited on her recorded internet session, there was nothing that would appeal to her, Emily didn't think so anyway. Nothing that stood out as a story that a psychopath would take interest in. Then again, how would she even know? She wondered briefly if Jessica really did just want to view the news.

"Why are you up so early on your day off?" Alison mumbled from the doorway. Emily turned to see the sleepy blonde walking towards her, she closed the laptop and sat it onto the coffee table before Alison slid into her lap, arms around her neck.

"I couldn't sleep anymore," Emily admitted as Alison got comfortable on her, Ali's left hand rested behind her neck while her right hand was placed on Emily's chest.

"Did she say much last night? I can't remember you getting home."

"She's taken a particular interest in the book that's written," Emily said and swallowed, "about me and her." She didn't want to say 'us.' She felt Ali nod her head against her chest.

"I know you told me you haven't but have you really not read it before?" Alison asked, her voice more awake now.

Jessica had that effect on people, you knew she wasn't around and you weren't in immediate danger but it didn't stop you from becoming a little more alert with your surroundings in case she jumped out of the wall or barged through the door wielding a scalpel.

"God, no," Emily said, groaning, as she wrapped her arms fully around the blonde. It still knocked her off kilter how easy it was to hold Alison against her despite her need to push people away for the last year.

Alison sat up and looked in Emily's direction, she blushed slightly as the brunette looked at her sincerely. "It's not bad. You know, for a crime thriller. It's not very factual I'd imagine… before the profile I done on you I called the writer. She told me that you refused to talk to her, Paige refused to talk to her, your doctor refused to talk to her, in fact your whole department refused to talk to her."

Emily nodded that that was true.

"She based most things on news accounts, internet articles and her own hyped up imagination. There's a chapter at the end where you're barely alive and you talk to Jessica and you get her to turn herself in. You convince her that she can be a better person, she's overcome by your goodness and voilà, she lets you go."

Emily laughed out loud. "Now do you see why I don't talk to journalists about books on me?" Alison tilted her head. "Apart from you, you I like," Emily added with a smile as she kissed Alison softly on the lips.

Alison wasn't ready to let it go, her and Emily were sharing a moment and she knew it. Since they'd started dating they hadn't spoken much about the past, but she wanted to know more, she just didn't know how to ask. "What about the second man theory? Some reports said that you said there was a man in the basement with you."

Emily hadn't told her about MacKay, she'd had no proof anyway and she didn't think anyone except Toby, Spencer and Hanna would even believe her.

"I asked her when I was in the basement and she told me I was crazy, and at the time I thought I was. Then about two months ago when you walked into my life he came back into mine too."

Emily could nearly hear and see the wheels turning in Alison's head. The blonde shifted in her arms as her mind connected the dots.

"No way," she muttered before she shivered. Emily pulled her closer.

Emily nodded. "I have no proof though, but after the case finished I went to see Jessica and she pretty much confirmed it, she knew who you were before I did, Ali. She knew Paul MacKay had a fixation with you."

"We're connected in the most fucked up way, Em. Do you realise that? Through serial killers who had an obsession with us," Alison stated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emily shrugged. "We weren't together at the time and it didn't seem like something to bring up when the case was finished. Usually when I finish a case I like to keep it that way. And yes, our connection is…unusual in the scheme of things."

"So why are you telling me now?"

Emily considered the question carefully. "Because you asked me and I don't lie to you. Our relationship isn't like that and I never want it to be."

Alison smiled in the brunette's direction. "Good answer, but I need to go for a shower now," she said as she pecked Emily quickly on the lips, "if you want to you're welcome to join."

The blonde smiled and bit her lip as she walked away. Emily looked towards the TV and then back at Alison who had just rounded the bathroom door. It was an easy decision.

_- x -_

Emily padded down the hallway into the kitchen as Ali got dressed, she decided to be the domesticated one for a change and make Alison breakfast before she went to work. She went about making coffee and pancakes as she thought about what she could do for the day. She decided that she'd pay Hanna a visit at the store Hanna owned and get groceries while she was out.

She was humming a long to her iPod when she caught a glance of blonde hair from the corner of her eye. Then delicate hands were on her waist and she spun around so she was face to face with Alison.

"I have a red mark here," Alison said as she pointed to her lower shoulder.

Emily shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, I may have gotten carried away in the shower. I made pancakes if that makes it better?"

Alison narrowed her eyes playfully. "A little." She turned to head towards the living room when she saw the bottle of salt-water solution still sitting next to the fridge on it's side, buried under a few letters. "I thought you gave this back to her?" she asked holding it up.

"I tried, I haven't seen her in like two weeks since that day in the elevator. But I heard her when I got home last night so she must be back."

"Why? Where did she go?"

Emily shrugged as she put their pancakes on the plate. "I don't know, I haven't asked her. I will take it back this morning, she probably only wants the bottle back anyway."

"Don't you find that weird? She moves here, gives you this then drops off the face of the planet for two weeks?"

Emily shrugged again. "A little, she has a love heart tattoo as well on her back. I saw it."

Ali's eyes widened. "She's creepy Em, admit it. You need to check up on her or something."

"I can't do that, she's done nothing wrong plus I feel like I'm just being paranoid. But at the same time there is something that bothers me and I don't know what. I get the same feeling as you," Emily answered as she took a bite of her pancake. "When I give her this back I will try and get a feel for her."

"A feel for her?" Alison repeated cautiously.

Emily smirked when she saw Ali's face and then nodded in the blonde's direction. "Yes a feel _for_ her, see what she's like and that kind of thing, not a feel _of_ her don't worry."

They sat quietly as they finished the rest of their pancakes. For not seeing Emily's domesticated side very often Alison had to hand it to her, she made pretty decent pancakes. She even put two in a Tupperware box to take to work with her, she was jealous as Emily lounged on the couch while she collected her things for work.

"Remember and take that bottle upstairs," Alison called as she made her way towards the door. "She gives me the creeps," she muttered under her breath.

"I will do, and I will tell her that people who tan in winter are not to be trusted and should I also tell her that my girlfriend is maybe a little jealous?" Emily called back as Alison took a step out the apartment, she watched as the blonde's head craned back around the door.

"Correct; tans in winter are not to be trusted. And yes your girlfriend may be a little jealous," Emily was surprised as Ali made light work of the distance between them, kissing her goodbye again before pulling back. "Only a little though."

"Do you have the spare key for here in case I'm still out later when you finish work?" Emily asked as Ali reached the door.

"Yep, it's in my purse."

_- x -_

In the morning traffic, the ten and a half mile drive from Emily's apartment to The Brew coffee shop took Alison a little over thirty minutes. It had been there for as long as Alison could remember. Even when she was a student at Rosewood High School The Brew had been the place to get her morning coffee.

It was a simple, large, open plan seating area crammed with booths and stools, coffee machines and people. In the last ten years it had been renovated only twice. The place sounded and looked like a street market on a Sunday morning; alive with movement, murmurs and shouts that came from every customer. Espresso's. Latte's. Cappuccino's. Americano's.

Aria sat at the far end of the coffee shop. She was in the last booth, a cup of coffee sat in front of her next to a bagel as usual. Alison slowly started zigzagging her way around the morning rush of people after she had grabbed her coffee.

"I'm here," she exclaimed when she really reached the booth that Aria was sitting in.

"I thought you didn't have time for a coffee today?" Aria asked as Alison slipped into the booth across from her.

"I don't really, but I need to talk," Alison said as she took a gulp of her coffee. "About Emily's upstairs neighbour."

Aria looked at her as if waiting for her to continue. "She's creepy," Alison stated bluntly. "She left Emily salt water to clean blood from her shirt two weeks ago and then pretty much disappeared but was home late last night when Emily got back."

"So, we don't like her?" Aria asked.

Alison shook her head. "Nope, you know when you just get that vibe off someone? Anyway, Emily feels it too but, technically, she hasn't done anything wrong so it's not as if Emily can do anything."

"What's her name?"

Alison took another gulp of coffee before she answered. "Amelia."

"That doesn't sound like a Rosewood name," Aria stated.

"It's not, she's from California," Alison highlighted the word California in a silly child like voice.

"Are you worried Emily is going to like her or something?" Aria asked as she looked over at her best friend.

Alison shook her head. "No, Emily would never do that and it's going really well between us. I think. I hope anyway." She ignored the obvious redness that crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks.

"Em's going to give her the bottled solution back this morning and see what is going on with her. I just don't trust her or like her, there's something not right. She has a tan, Aria. I've said this one hundred times to Emily, people who tan in winter should not be trusted."

Aria nodded her head. "Especially when I'm sitting here like Casper the freakin' ghost."

Alison smiled across at her best friend. "Exactly my point!"

_- x -_

The fifth floor of Emily's building was much the same as the fourth, apart from the hallway, which had been painted a horrible deep green colour. The paint had a glossy finish to it that reflected the overhead lights so that the entire hallway seemed to flicker in and out. Emily knocked on her neighbours apartment door.

When Amelia answered it, Emily held up the plastic bottle that her and Ali had found outside her apartment door nearly two weeks ago. "I think this is yours," she said.

Amelia smiled. "I guess you remembered then, I hope it got it out," she replied as she reached out and took the bottle from Emily's hands. She leaned against the doorjamb, it was just after nine in the morning. Too early for a social call but she didn't seem to mind.

"Do you want to come in for a coffee?" Amelia asked.

"I have coffee downstairs," Emily answered politely.

"I just got a new coffee machine though," she said.

Emily scratched the back of her neck, maybe this would give her an opening to figure Amelia out because Ali was right; there was something that just didn't sit right with her. "Okay, sure then I can have a coffee, I have time."

She opened the door and Emily followed her inside. Amelia's apartment was the same layout as her own, but her exposed brick wall was painted white. Her furniture all matched, like it had all been purchased as one set out of a show home. The sofa was crimson red. The coffee table was jet black and glass. The two leather chairs matched the couch and a small glass end table in between them matched the coffee table.

There were Asian touches all over the apartment. Framed scrolls, embroidered silk paints, there was a five-foot print of an Asian robe hanging on the white exposed brick wall. Black stools lined her kitchen counter and a large red fridge took pride and place in the kitchen. Amelia was at the sink on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Have a seat," she said.

Her purse was on the floor next to one of the leather chairs. Emily went to the chair and sat down, she could see Amelia on the other side of the counter, putting coffee together on a tray. Despite her head screaming at her not to she lowered her hand into Amelia's purse and felt for her wallet.

When she had it, she leaned over the arm of the chair, snapped it open and examined the driver's license. Her name was listed as Amelia Dylan. The picture matched. It was also a California license. Emily pulled it out of it's plastic and tilted it to see if the hologram was real. If it was a fake, it was a really good one.

She slid the wallet back into her purse just as Amelia turned to her with a tray and two mugs with various assortments next to it. Emily could see the steam rising out of them, the smell of the coffee made her mouth water.

"Asian studies?" Emily asked.

Amelia tucked her legs up under her on the couch. "Sorry?"

"Your area of study or expertise," Emily said.

"Nope," she replied, "but good guess."

Emily leaned forward and picked up the mug of coffee, she appreciated that Amelia hadn't put anything in it. She took a drink and then set it back down onto the coffee table and looked across at Amelia.

"Who are you?"

"I've already told you. Check my driver's license if you want."

"You come to Rosewood from California, you seem to be living above the means of an average Joe and yet I've never seen you go to work. You…" Emily struggled for the words. "The tattoo of the heart is new, you always seem to bump into me."

It sounded ludicrous as she said it and she cursed herself and Alison for jumping to the conclusion that her upstairs neighbour was another crazy person.

"We live in the same building, I'm bound to see you around and I just wanted to be neighbourly," Amelia said. "I looked you up, I know who you are and I understand that you've been through some things but you are searching for darker motives when there are none. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," Emily answered truthfully.

"Have you been with her long?" Amelia asked. Emily knew she meant Ali.

"Not really."

"Did you interrogate her like this when you first met?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Emily didn't have an answer. She trusted Ali, from that first day at the press conference, and she had no idea why. For all Emily knew, Alison had just wanted her for a story and she'd never questioned it. Not once. She didn't have to now.

"I didn't have to," she finally replied.

Emily looked around the room, there was no clutter. No crumpled receipts, no loose change in the kitchen, no magazines, no nothing. Everything was almost photo ready. "Where is the rest of your things?"

"They're still being shipped," Amelia answered.

It was plausible, everything she had told Emily was plausible. Any rational person would have asked her to leave about ten minutes ago and she knew it. Emily looked at her and Amelia looked back. Emily broke the eye contact first and stood.

"I need to go now."

Amelia's posture didn't change. She didn't seem to be bothered by the way Emily had acted or the questions she had asked. She appeared perfectly comfortable.

"Okay," Amelia said as she stood and walked Emily to the door. "I really was just being neighbourly with the salt water," she said as she put her hand on Emily's arm.

Emily pulled her arm away as she reached for the door handle, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Amelia smiled at her and sighed before she closed the door.

_- x -_

Alison tapped her pen against her desk in her new office. The view from the window looked onto Rosewood Park. By the time she had turned around, Donna Gomez was inside her office. She was carrying a box of doughnuts. She slid the doughnuts onto the desk and opened the box. A sickly – sweet aroma filled the room.

"They are Krispy Kreme," she said. "I picked them up for our lunch."

She was still thinking about Emily's text from earlier in the morning about the brunette's visit to Amelia. Maybe they were being silly. She reached out and took a doughnut, she licked off the glaze that stuck to her finger.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, kid. What's up?"

"Have you ever gotten a really bad feeling about someone but had nothing to back up what you thought?"

Donna chuckled. "Yep, every man I've ever been with around here. And there's been a few."

Alison smiled. "Yeah but – " she was broken from her sentence when her phone rang harshly on her desk, she pressed accept immediately when she saw Emily's desk.

"Are you on your lunch break yet?" Emily asked without any greeting.

"Yeah, why?"

"Look out your window. I got bored." Alison frowned before she moved over towards the window and looked down. There was Emily, stood with two coffees in her hand, smiling up at her like a fool.

"Good timing. We have the doughnuts up here." Alison laughed as she continued to look down.

"Well what kind of cop would I be if I said no to a doughnut?" Emily replied, "I will see you in a few minutes."

Alison hung up the phone as she continued to look out the window. She saw a woman with dark hair disappear around the corner and shook her head, maybe she was just being paranoid about Amelia. Irrational jealously.

Maybe she just didn't want anyone else to be interested in the woman she was falling for.

_Yep, that sounds about right, Ali._

* * *

><p><em>Most of you don't like Amelia, is it so hard to believe that she's just a friendly neighbour? But I'm feeling nice and will tell you that she is not related to Jessica in terms of blood relations: they are not sisters. So that's one theory down.<em>

_If you want: follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93 or Tumblr (I don't use it much but I really am going to start) my url is amusingbutconfusingg_


	20. Friends

_In the scheme of things this is a pretty light hearted chapter in comparison to what's been and what's to come. A good few of you were asking about the Liars coming together as a group and up until now I've never really had a reason to in this story but now Ali and Emily are kind of getting serious I feel it's a good time, I hope you guys enjoy the second half of the chapter. I had a few laughs writing it, especially Hanna. So enjoy and please leave me your thoughts!_

* * *

><p><em>"You're still alive Emily, sweetie," Her Mom says gently. "And she's…she's gone. Prison. She won't get to you again."<em>

_There's a bright overhead light directly above Emily's hospital bed. It's the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes and even blinking is painful. The second thing she sees is her parents on her left hand side. Their faces are a worrying shade of pale._

_Paige is sitting over to her right, a magazine is open on her lap but Emily can't make out what it says. And oh God Paige. She doesn't deserve Paige to be here after what she's done. Paige tilts her head and looks at her with sad eyes, she's been crying, Emily realises._

_"We found you in time," Toby says, "it's a miracle that you're even alive with what she done to you." He runs his hand over his head and Emily can see the worry in his face too, she wonders, briefly, how much sleep Toby has had in the time she's been here. She doesn't even know how long that's been._

_Emily closes her eyes and curls onto her side. Her skin burns with sweat and her whole body aches in an intensity that she doesn't think she will be able to stand. She shifts on the bed, trying to find an easier position. The movement makes her stomach cramp. Her hands shake so she traps them between her knees. She opens her eyes again and even the light hurts as it shines on her._

_"What's wrong with me?" she asks weakly._

_They all share nervous glances before Paige shifts forward on her chair, she puts a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder, but even that hurts and Emily struggles to shrug it away._

_"Your come down," Paige says softly. "She had you on all sorts of painkillers and hallucinogens, it's almost like cold turkey the doctor said." Her Mom leans over and wipes hair from her cheek._

_The bed sheets are warm and damp with sweat. Her last memory is of Jessica holding her after injecting something into her IV line. A wall of pain jolts through her body like live electricity and she curls deeper into a fetal position on the bed._

_They've found her too soon. This is even worse than the basement._

* * *

><p>Emily sat perched on the end of Toby's desk, they were both grinning at each other. It wasn't the kind of picture you often seen in the task force office building, but this had been a good day so far and it was going to get better because of the evening she had planned with Ali.<p>

Toby propped his feet on the desk and laced his hands behind his neck. "We will probably never have another day this good. Not in this job anyway."

Emily pondered that. "Maybe we should just retire right now then? Go all out in a blaze of glory, get jobs as golfers on some beautiful course in Hawaii or somewhere like that."

"Nah, even golfers don't get highs like this, Em."

"Hm, probably not."

"And neither of us know how to golf," Toby reminded her.

"How hard can it be really? You hit the white ball with the club and aim for the putting hole? It's basically pinball on outdoor grass," Emily answered as she glanced over her shoulder, she was leaving any minute to meet Alison in a new bar in Rosewood.

Toby's grin widened. "We are probably the only homicide detectives in the world where the homicide victim actually lived."

"Sadly, I don't think so, I bet it's happened before."

Toby made a face at her. "Not in this department it hasn't. And she could just as well have died, if it weren't for the two greatest detectives that Rosewood ever produced. It's just so good to be back to normal, when you were gone it just wasn't the same." He shook his head in happy disbelief. "It's nearly as good as sex."

Emily thought that was a load of crap right away, well especially when it came to Alison, and she guessed that Spencer wouldn't be thrilled with that analogy either. But she was feeling too good to take any sort of serious issue with it so she let it go straight over her head.

They'd been called out on a probable homicide early in the morning. Bloody bedroom, drunken boyfriend with a history of alcohol abuse and assault charges and a missing woman who was presumed dead. Emily and Toby had found her at four this afternoon, barely alive, locked in the trunk of a car that belonged to the drunken boyfriends best friend. The doctors at Rosewood Community Hospital said she was going to make it, and they'd been on cloud nine since.

"Who's going to Hawaii?" Callahan asked as he back pedaled in the corridor and into Toby's office. "I could do with going to Hawaii right about now too."

"No one is going to Hawaii," Emily replied with a laugh. "But even if I was I would only bring you back a little lei necklace."

Callahan looked at her in faked disgust. "A necklace? Bring me one of those Hawaiian dancers back in your suitcase and then you have a deal. They can hula every night with me." He nodded like he meant every word he was saying.

Emily sometimes forgot how male dominated her job was. "You must be dreaming if you think that would ever happen, Callahan," Emily replied, amused at how vigorously Callahan was nodding. "Get out of here."

She waited until Callahan was out of view before she hopped off the end of Toby's desk, even now the immediate pain that followed in her ribs took her breath away. "It's exactly six, so I'm leaving. With this traffic it will take me forever to even get there."

"Hot date or something?" Toby teased and Emily smiled back, her body half out the door.

"Something like that."

_- x -_

Alison knew Emily would be late. It was like a detectives right of passage, they never showed up when they said they would. She briefly looked around her new surroundings before she made her way to the bar and despite the early time it was packed with people. She ordered a white wine and managed to snag a booth next to the floor to ceiling windows that gave her an impressive view of Rosewood.

"So, what's a pretty woman like you doing in a place like this all alone?"

Alison drew her eyes away from her wine to look up who was talking to her. He was dressed impeccably and had that aura about him that he was used to doing this. If Ali had been remotely interested in him he might have ticked the right boxes, but she wasn't. She also tried to hide the smirk at the cheesy line. If she'd heard one she'd heard them all.

"My name's Andrew and I'm free tonight if you are?" He questioned.

Alison grimaced, his over confidence made her feel about as nauseous as his cologne did. "I'm actually waiting for someone so no, I'm not free tonight. Was nice to meet you though." That was a lie. She spun her attention back down to her wine.

Apparently unfazed at her rejection, he persisted. "Well I will keep you company until your someone shows up, how about it?" His voice was serious and Ali had to reign herself in from throwing her wine about his face. It wouldn't be appreciated getting handcuffed out the bar by her own girlfriend.

She was just about to open her mouth when she heard Emily's voice behind her, a delicate arm getting placed around her shoulder. "Hey, sorry I'm late, Ali," Emily said as she smiled down at the blonde.

Emily had the feeling that she had just stepped into an uninvited conversation on the man's side. "Is this your friend, Ali?" She asked as she looked at Alison.

The blonde shook her head as she stood. "No, his name's Andrew. I just met him, he offered to keep me company while I waited for you."

Emily appraised the man. She could see why women would like him, she shrugged it off though. Alison didn't want him… no she definitely didn't. _Maybe?_ _No you're being ridiculous, Emily. _"Well thanks, Andy, for keeping her company while I was running late." She lowered her hand to Ali's waist.

"It's Andrew," he replied as he looked between them, it all finally dawning on him. "And she's gorgeous, you're very lucky." He narrowed his eyes at Emily and she knew he was trying to think where he had seen her before.

"She is Andy, yeah."

Emily smiled but she could feel her heart beating erratically in her chest, it had been a long time since had ever needed to stick up for the person she was dating in a bar. It was refreshing in a weird way. They watched as Andy sneaked back into the crowd and then Emily slid into the booth across from Alison with a non alcoholic beer.

It had been nearly thirty minutes since the Andrew commotion and Emily had barely said three words to her. She hadn't seen Emily like that, Alison didn't even know where to start, but something was wrong. She at least knew that much.

"Em?" she asked as the brunette looked out the window, it took Emily a few seconds before she finally turned around.

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Alison prodded as she leaned over the table a little.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine," Emily replied as she pulled at the label on her bottle. "It's all good."

Alison tilted her head. "I'm a lot of things but I'm not that stupid."

Emily sighed and drew the moment out. Flicking a piece of label on the middle of the table for good measure. "Him. If you liked him…well yeah. He was good looking I guess."

Alison shouldn't have been smiling but she was. "Don't be silly, Emily. Come on, we're not having this conversation here," she added as she stood and sorted her dress, she reached for the brunette's wrist before she tugged Emily out of the booth.

Emily turned the heating on as they sat in the car, neither of them had clipped in their seatbelt. "I just realised in there that I don't really know nothing about your past. Dating wise."

"There's not much to tell," Alison admitted as Emily stared out the window. "I dated a guy through college on and off for a couple of years and that's the only serious relationship I've had… until now." She hoped she hadn't said too much.

"He was good looking though, he seemed into you." Emily drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. It gave her something to do instead of looking at Alison. She was crap at this kind of stuff. Always had been.

"Were you jealous of him?" Alison teased lightly, hoping to at least get a smile out of the brunette.

"No." Emily replied instantaneously and then paused as silence filled the car again. "A little, I guess. It was just weird, I haven't been jealous over anyone in a long time. It was weird to see other people interested in you. I didn't like it."

Ali leaned over and took Emily's hand off the steering wheel and into her own. The brunette's palm was damp with sweat. She thought she might, finally, have found someone worse at explaining their feelings than her. It was an odd achievement. "Emily, look at me."

Emily rolled her eyes before she turned to face Alison, she saw no sign of deceit in the blonde's face or eyes. "What?"

"I… I'm not good at this either. But I'm leaving with you because that's where I want to be and who I want to be with. Sure he was aesthetically pleasing, but he wasn't you." She stroked the back of Emily's palm with her thumb. "I haven't met anyone like you."

"No one else would put up with me after everything," Emily commented.

Alison shrugged. "We all have a past, but I'd like to think that maybe we can have a half decent future… together."

"You're better at this than you think you are," Emily said as she closed the distance between them to press their lips together, it was the first kiss she'd had with Alison all day and she'd missed it.

Alison smiled at her, her hand still on the brunette's. "So are you. But can you take us back to your apartment, even with the heating on this car is freezing."

"I'm sorry I ruined our half date night," Emily replied as she started up the car.

"You didn't. I told you, I'm going home with you."

_- x -_

Emily looked up at the ceiling, Amelia was scraping something a long the floor and it was vibrating into her apartment. She didn't understand people who moved furniture at night, what was the point in that?

She glanced back at her room where Alison was currently getting changed after her shower. She yawned and then thought of tomorrow's activity: shopping outside of Philly. Apparently some massive stores had massive sales and it was the place to be. The thought alone made her yawn again.

Alison was about to give up looking for a hair tie when she noticed Emily's bedside table. There was a drawer attached to it and it seemed like a reasonable place to keep a hair tie. She felt like she was intruding as she pulled it open. An empty bottle of Vicodin rolled to the front of it, next to the empty orange bottle was a gun.

She reached out for it, slightly shocked at the weight of it. It felt heavy and dead in her hands. She wondered how long Emily had slept with that next to her bed, it made her heart ache in her chest. She lifted it up and inspected it, it was in pristine condition and yet she'd never seen Emily touch it in all the time they had been dating.

"Why do you keep this in your bedside drawer?" Alison said as she walked into the living room. Emily's eyes widened at the large black object in her small hand.

"Jesus, Ali. That's loaded, give me that," Emily said as she stood up from the couch and made her way over to the blonde. She took the gun from Ali's hand carefully before she unloaded it, the bullets rattled off the kitchen counter, one of them slid right off and onto the floor.

"How long has that been in your room?"

"It's always in my room, and it's always loaded so don't touch it. Could blow your hand off," Emily replied as she placed it onto the kitchen counter. "How did you find it anyway?"

"I needed a hair tie so I thought maybe you had one in the drawer."

Emily walked back towards the couch, she turned in Ali's direction when the blonde didn't follow her.

"You're still scared aren't you?" Alison asked as her legs finally moved towards Emily.

"It's not about being afraid, it's about being prepared."

"No, being prepared for bed is making sure you have taken your socks or bra off. Sleeping with a loaded gun is afraid," Alison pushed as they both sat on the couch, their bare legs touching. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emily shook her head and blew her cheeks out. "Because it's not something I go about telling everyone. Christ Ali, I only started sleeping with the light off again when you started staying over." She stood and stalked over towards the kitchen counter, leaving Alison staring at fresh air.

"I know you're still scared, Em," Ali said as she stood. "But you don't need to be, she's not getting out of that place anytime soon." She walked over to the brunette and leaned up so her chin rested on Emily's shoulders.

"I used to sleep with it in bed," Emily admitted weakly as she picked it up and held it out in front of her. It didn't look as heavy in Emily's hand, she handled it with ease.

"Can I hold it?" Ali asked, her interest piqued. There was something incredibly sexy about Emily in her detective mode.

"Sure," Emily passed her the empty gun before she stood behind the blonde, her arms wrapped around Ali's as she held it out in front of her. She adjusted Ali's fingers so she was holding it correctly, holding it the way she would if she ever had to use it.

"Do I look badass?" Ali asked cheerfully.

"You actually do," Emily laughed gently as she rested her head on Ali's shoulder, she pressed a kiss onto the blonde's neck and then at the base of her spine. "You look really badass actually."

They both looked up at the ceiling as the clunking noise made it's way down into Emily's apartment. Alison leaned back slightly before she turned her head, her nose bumping into Emily's jaw. "Do you think if I shoot a hole in her floor she will quiet down?"

Emily laughed, Ali could feel the vibration of it all the way down her back. "No, I want to keep this apartment, I quite like it here. And about the gun, I will get rid of it, I just need to do it in my own time and I'm just not there yet."

Alison set the gun onto the kitchen counter before she turned in Emily's direction, the brunette's face was only inches away from her own.

"I just wondered why you still had it that's all. You can take your time. I won't rush you with anything like that." She leaned up and pressed her lips against Emily's as the brunette backed her against the kitchen counter, her arms finding Emily's neck easily, their moment only broken with more scraping above them. "I hate her," Ali stated bluntly as Emily pulled away slightly.

"Oh, before I forget, I asked Hanna and Spencer to come along with us tomorrow on that shopping trip. I need all the company I can get," Emily said as she smiled and kissed Ali's nose.

"I asked Aria today too," Alison replied, "I didn't know you had asked them. I can call Aria and tell her we have to cancel if you want?"

Emily frowned. "Why? I've met her. She may as well meet my friends too, plus it could turn out fun."

"Really? I just wasn't sure because well yeah, we haven't really discussed that kind of thing."

"No, it will be fun. She will get her eyes opened when she meets Hanna though," Emily countered with a smile.

"My Dad said we should cut through the forest roads to avoid all the traffic. Sales attract everyone Em, so we should take the easiest route."

Emily nodded her head. "Sure, a forest adventure to shop. I don't think my day could get much better tomorrow."

_- x -_

Fifty five minutes into their trip, Emily heard the telltale click and glanced back, Hanna was slouched in the back seat, her hands at war with her seatbelt. Emily mused, this was the universal background music of travelling with Hanna. The click and rattle of the seat belt being adjusted to press in between her breasts instead of smashing one down.

"Damn these stupid seat belts," Hanna complained. "If one of these things ever dared to smash down a mans balls you can bet your life on it that the designer would end up hanging by his."

Spencer chuckled from the seat behind Emily's in the back and adjusted her own seat belt easily over her flatter chest. Aria, who was squished in the middle of Hanna and Spencer, just grinned at her two car mates in the back.

"Em, are we lost?" Hanna asked, "I haven't seen a house or a car in about twenty miles."

"We're not lost Han," Emily replied. "This is just a mini detour until we find the main road again. I've never driven these kind of forest roads before."

"So Hansel said to Gretel," Hanna murmured. "And we turned off the right road like twenty five minutes ago because you wanted caffeine and had a hunch that a cart was close by. I told you we should have turned back the way we came but no and now we've taken different turns and everything. I mean who has a coffee cart in the bloody forest? God knows where this road leads to."

"You had caffeine too, Han," Emily reminded her gently.

"These roads are used for loggers and truckers so there will be lots of coffee carts and food carts around we just need to find them and we will find the road again," Spencer offered as an explanation.

"Coffee was my fault," Alison gave Hanna an apologetic wave from the front seat. "I needed it, we were up early this morning."

"Oh, don't apologise Alison, the homemade cake and biscuit selection at that cart was the most amazing thing I've seen since Caleb took his shirt off for me for the first time."

Hanna looked out at the tunnel of trees that crowded the road on each side, they looked like silent spectators at a parade and they were the act. The thick trunks seemed to swallow the icy sunshine.

"Hands down the creepiest place I've ever been. I've never heard of anybody famous coming from these forest communities you hear about and now I know why. Because they don't even exist. Haven't seen a soul in miles."

Emily looked into the mirror to catch Hanna's attention. "Ed Gein was famous and he lived near the forest, albeit in Wisconsin, but it's the same kind of thing." Spencer laughed from the back seat.

Hanna looked back confused. "Never heard of him, Em."

Emily smirked. "He used to kill people and then, well, he ate them." The rest of the car laughed as Hanna's eyes widened and mouth hung open, then just as quickly, she regained her composure.

"Well, apparently he ate them all here too."

Alison smiled at the blonde behind her. She had a fondness for Hanna that never usually happened with her immediately, but with Hanna it had.

"There aren't many people or communities out here," Spencer said. "Mostly forest, it just seems to go on forever but I'm pretty sure we will be out of here soon."

Hanna scoffed at Spencer's explanation. "Spence, I've been watching that little compass thing on Em's dashboard and it's been pointing north for ages and I just don't think that this place is that tall. Maybe we should find another turn before we hit the North Pole."

"Looks like we have our chance," Emily said, tipping her head towards a small sign coming up on the right that read 'Cairn Hotel 5 Miles.'

"Thank God," Hanna sighed. "Human beings."

Hanna patted the back of Ali's seat and then ran her hand through her hair, when she was done with that she fished a compact and a lip gloss out of her purse. She had the lip gloss at a critical point in the application when the Range Rover suddenly jerked forward, sending a streak of pink up her face.

"Fuck Emily, what did you do? Run over a reindeer?"

Emily didn't answer. Alison was looking curiously at the gauges on the dashboard but they were all blank. Hanna suddenly noticed the kind of silence that didn't belong in a moving car. She looked out at the trees that had started to move a lot slower. "No, no and no. This thing did not just quit on us did it? How can a cops car break down?"

"Looks that way," Emily replied calmly, adjusting her left hand on the wheel to compensate for the sudden lack of power steering as she tried to restart the car with her right. There was no response when she turned the key and the only sound was the muted noise of the tires on the road.

"Did you have enough gas when we left?" Aria asked, it was a stupid question. Cops always had plenty gas. She internally kicked herself.

"Yeah, we had plenty gas," Emily replied easily.

At the moment, Emily's dominant feeling was rage. Directed at both the innocent mechanic who'd put her car together and car engines in general. _Fuck mechanics and fuck car engines_. Worst case scenario's were her specialty and she hadn't prepared for this.

Not once did she consider that the Range Rover would start again, or that some truck driver would come a long and help them get it started. These were things that happened in some predictable world, but Emily hadn't been in that kind of world for a long time, they were going to end up walking to the hotel and that's what she was now prepared for.

Her eyes scanned the side of the road for anything that resembled a parking place as the jeep slowed, they'd almost exhausted the last of their momentum when she spotted a hidden but well used dirt track right in front of them. "Is this one of they long dirt road driveways?"

"Maybe…" was all Alison had time to say before Emily turned the wheel and the Range Rover shot forward on the roads small downward slope. Tree branches slapped against the windows as the car lumbered sharply around one corner. The pristine Range Rover sat in the middle of the trees like a black mark.

"That was exciting," Alison finally said. "I especially liked the part where we zoomed down that little hill, almost hit that tree and then took the corner on two wheels."

Emily unclipped her seatbelt and popped Ali's free for her. "Sorry babe, but this car cost me more than I want to admit and I want it out of sight if we need to leave it here."

Hanna was peering out of the window, her breath creating condensation on the window. "This is not a driveway."

"It looks like it cuts through towards that hotel, I bet if we took this road it would lead us right to it, and then we could call for help," Spencer said.

Hanna was horrified. "You mean outside? It's minus one million degrees out there and you want me to go hiking through forestry? Have you seen my shoes?"

By the time she had finished her sentence Emily and Ali had hopped out of the car, obliterating what was left of the heating. "Oh for fuck sake," Hanna grumbled loudly as she followed Aria and Spencer out of the car. "Open the hood so we can fix this."

"Hanna you don't know the first thing about cars," Emily argued.

"I know that you look under there when they break down like this hunk of junk. Plus I've heard Caleb say lots about engines and stuff."

Emily gave Ali a knowing look as she raised the hood, she stood back a little, amused by Hanna's look of concentration, she wrapped her arm around Ali's shoulders to draw the blonde closer.

"What are you thinking?" Aria asked hopefully as she looked at Hanna.

Hanna sighed. "That we need a tow truck." Hanna peered back in at the obviously dead engine as if it was a puppy that had just peed on her new living room carpet. Then she bounced backwards to grab her cell phone from her purse.

"No signal here, I've just tried," Spencer said, "not a lot of towers." But it didn't stop Hanna from waving the phone around like a magic wand from Hogwarts. She tried Emily's phone too just incase Emily's was superior in some way.

"Is she okay?" Alison asked quietly.

Emily pressed a kiss onto the blonde's forehead. "You haven't seen anything yet trust me, Ali. This is mild."

Hanna sighed again as she pressed her chin against her chest, her hands dropped to her side and then she looked up at them. "This is disgraceful. It's the twenty first century and were in the most technologically advanced country in the world and I can't make a damn phone call."

For a moment, the five of them stood quietly, looking around. It was Emily who dared to utter the words that Hanna dreaded the most. "I guess we walk."

Hanna looked down helplessly at her beautiful five-inch heels.

"I have got some spare Converse in the trunk," Emily said.

"Thank you," Hanna replied, and then thought about it for a minute, considering what was really important. "What colour are they, Em?"

As it turned out they were bright blue and didn't go with Hanna's outfit at all. Hanna looked down at the rounded toes, wiggled them and then huffed in Emily's direction. Alison turned her head into Emily's shoulder so she could silently laugh.

"You look a little ridiculous," Emily announced, amusement colouring her voice.

Hanna shook her head. "No. Just no. I refuse to entertain fashion criticism from a woman who wears nothing but jeans, t-shirts and white shirts to work."

They started on the dirt road, Alison had slipped her hand in Emily's back pocket, not just for the feel but for the heat. Aria walked next to them, her arm linked with Spencer's, they'd become friends pretty quickly and Hanna lagged a little behind.

"This is absurd," Hanna complained as she adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder. Emily had attempted to talk her into leaving it in the car but the day Hanna went anywhere without her make up would be the day that she ceased to exist.

"An hour ago, we were five intelligent, successful women in a seventy thousand dollar car with cell phones and on our way to shop till we drop but now look at us. Slogging through a prehistoric forest like the Barbarella triplets," Hanna argued again as she caught up to them.

"There's five of us," Spencer corrected. Hanna glared at her from the corner of her eye.

"Well, I don't know the word for that, so."

"Quintuplets," Spencer offered as they walked on.

Hanna stopped still and glared at her fully. "Spence, I swear…"

"At least we're all friends now though right?" Aria asked as they walked further in an attempt to diffuse the tension between Hanna and Spencer.

"True," Hanna said. "And we wouldn't be if it wasn't for these love birds over here." She cocked her head to the right as everyone looked across at Ali and Emily.

"Just curious though, who's top and who's bottom?" The forest erupted into laughter as Hanna teased them.

Eventually, after many questions and an hours quality bonding session, the trees seemed to thin a bit, and then abruptly the woods opened up to them, like a door onto a lightened room. The hotel stood at the corner and they could see people moving around inside. Bikes were parked outside it.

An old rusty car station stood to the side of it. "Well," Hanna said, "good luck to all of us if that's the Range Rover service center."

"But we're all friends now and we've had a good day kind of?" Aria asked happily.

"God yes, we are now friends," Hanna replied. "People who have seen me wear these with this outfit need to be my friend so I can blackmail them into never telling and also not telling when I burn this damn forest to the ground." Spencer and Aria laughed as Emily untangled herself from Ali.

"I told you this would be good for us, I feel like I've got a new friend in Aria and I don't take to new people quickly but I like her," Emily said quietly. The blonde's nose was red with the cold, as were her cheeks, Emily thought she was adorable.

"It was the funniest road walking trip I've ever had Emily. And I feel like Hanna and Spencer are my friends now too."

She leaned up and rubbed her cold nose against Emily's. Walking into Emily Fields' life was turning out to be the best decision Alison had ever made.

* * *

><p><em>It wasn't the most action packed chapter but I felt like where this story is going to go Emily needs friends and what better way to bring them all together than a fun little road trip haha. Also after Christmas I'm going to start doing one shotsprompts so if you have anything you'd like me to have a go at let me know. Can follow me/let me know on Twitter at Kirstenr93 or my Tumblr url is amusingbutconfusingg  
><em>


	21. Back in Black

_Some of you will love this chapter, some of you might now but that's the way it goes. For Jessica fans you're probably going to love the next few chapters we are going to be seeing a lot of her! I know some people who don't like Jessica as much won't like the next few chapters as much but it's what I wanted to do with this story and yeah you can't please everybody haha. Enjoy and please, if you enjoy the chapter, let me know, even if it's just a couple words!_

* * *

><p><em>She must have drifted off again because when Emily wakes up, Hanna is standing over her on the other side of the bed. Her parents and Paige aren't there anymore.<em>

_She leans over and gags into the plastic pan that Hanna holds in front of her and she tries to vomit but nothing comes out, her body is shaking. When she's done she lays back on the bed, her chest heaving. Hanna's eyes sparkle with unshed tears._

_Hanna's face disappears from view as she places the plastic pan on the floor and when she looks up she is a picture of composure again. Emily is glad of that._

_"Are you about done?" Hanna asks gently._

_Emily's brows crease in confusion. Is she about done with what? She doesn't have a clue what Hanna is talking about._

_"You've been doing that for the past hour," Hanna says as she tucks Emily's hair behind her ear. "You don't remember it?"_

_Emily curls on her side. "No."_

_"Well, your Doctor came to see you, do you remember that?"_

_Emily shakes her head. She's covered in blankets and yet she's still cold. She pulls the blankets up to her shoulders, her arms and legs are shaking. It feels like everything is sore._

_"He said if you make it twelve hours you will be able to have more pain meds."_

_"How much longer is that?" Emily asks._

_Hanna looks at her phone and then tilts her head sadly. "Six more hours."_

_Emily feels more acid rise in her throat so she pulls her knees to her chest. "I can't do it."_

_Hanna leans over and kisses her on the cheek, near the corner of her mouth, but there's nothing romantic about it. It's soothing in the way a mother might kiss their child. It's a reminder that Hanna is right there. "You can, Em. She is not going to beat you."_

_Emily feels the tears pool in her eyes because it breaks her heart. Jessica has already won and she attempts to hold her knees tighter to her chest but everything hurts so she turns over and buries her face in the pillow so she doesn't have to look at her best friend._

_"She's not going to win, Emily," Hanna repeats as she moves her chair out the way and climbs on the bed, careful not to touch Emily. Emily can feel the bed dip under the additional weight. There's a hand on her shoulder and it burns. But she turns around anyway._

_"She already has," Emily mumbles before she places her head on Hanna's chest and she allows herself to cry as Hanna's arms wrap around her. Her whole body wracks in pain as Hanna keeps her in place._

_"No she hasn't and she won't, Em. I promise you that."_

* * *

><p>"We need to go and celebrate your birthday, Em," Toby said as she waltzed into her office. It was just leaving half past five in the evening.<p>

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow though," Emily replied as she looked up at him from her computer screen.

"I know," he answered as he sat on one of the blue leather seats across from her desk. "But you won't be here tomorrow and me and Spence have Hastings' commitments which we can't break, obviously, so we can't spend it with you and you know the department tradition."

Emily shook her head. "Nope, the tradition is cancelled this year."

"It isn't, all the guys are already waiting. Rachel is coming along too so you won't be the only woman this time. Do you have money on you?"

Emily smiled as she clicked off the windows on her computer. "Fine," she relented. "I'm not staying too long and don't get me any dances but yes I have cash on me. So lets go and get this over with so I can go home and be old with Ali."

_- x -_

Emily sat with a red paper birthday hat on her head and four bullets in her pocket. The bullets clinked when she moved, but only she seemed to hear them in this place. The hat's elastic band tugged at her hair and gripped her neck. She adjusted it, feeling a red line forming on her skin.

She couldn't quite believe they had taken her here and yet it really was a tradition in their department - even though she was a woman, even though she missed it last year for obvious reasons - they'd brought her back. _Like one of the group_. She shook her head as she watched the men at the bar collecting the beers. Rachel sat across from her, shifting in her seat like a cat on a hot tin roof.

The place was busy with the usual suspects. A group of testosterone filled men on a bachelor party gathered around two tables and sang encouragements to a poor guy wearing a nurse's outfit. Men in suits hunched over their beers while their wedding rings jingled in their pockets. Emily knew their table stuck out like a sore thumb.

She was broken from her observation when her phone vibrated in her phone pocket. She pulled it out fully expecting to see Alison's name on her screen; it was. She excused herself before she walked out into the cold, she could see a cloud of vapour above her head every time she exhaled.

"It's me," Alison greeted her warmly and Emily smiled at the blonde's voice.

"What's up?" Emily asked.

"Where are you and what's that noise?"

"I'm at a lap dancing bar, it wasn't my idea. It's department tradition for our birthdays," Emily replied as a group of guys walked past her into the bar.

"I don't want to know," Alison answered calmly but Emily could tell she wanted to know more, had clingy questions that she didn't want to ask. "I'm heading over to your apartment just now, there's a chance I may have a late meeting though so if I'm not there when you get back that's where I am."

"So you won't be there to bring in my birthday with me? I'll have to get old by myself?" Emily joked, she heard Ali laugh gently into the phone.

"Hopefully not, but if I have to go to the meeting I will text you and let you know and if it's not too late I will come back to yours. Are you really not getting a dance?" Alison asked.

_There we go_. "No, I'm not getting one, Ali. I would be home by now but it is department tradition at the end of the day and it's only fair that I stay for a little while."

"Okay," Alison answered. "I know it's kind of late in the day but is there anything in particular that you do want for your birthday tomorrow as a gift?"

Emily considered the question before she bit her cheek and grinned. "How about a lap dance?"

_- x -_

Alison slipped the key in the door and stepped into the apartment, she dragged her desk chair behind her, it rolled over the hardwood floor easily. Every time she stepped into Emily's apartment she had to shrug off the feeling that she was home. Her childhood house wasn't home, it was merely a place to sleep, which wasn't often anymore since she spent nearly every night here.

She poured bath salts into the water and then lit the one candle Emily had in her bathroom. The bright scent of the bath salts filled the room and a cloud of steam rose from the hot water. When the water was knee high, Alison placed her towel over the sink and stepped into the bath tub.

She closed her eyes and sank back into the water. Her face felt hot, not just because of the water but because Emily wanted a lap dance. She wasn't sure if the brunette had been joking or not, she hoped she hadn't been, she had a feeling it could turn out kind of fun. Even if she hadn't done it before, how hard could it be really?

By the time she got out and got dried, Parker still hadn't text her about the meeting which was a good thing. She blanked the image of Emily at a lap dancing bar out of her mind, she really didn't need to think about that, it was pushed to the back of her mind. Nearly. Almost.

She sighed when she saw the screen on her MacBook still alight in the coffee table. It should have been asleep by now. A computer glitch was not what she needed. She pressed on the mouse pad and groaned when she saw the screen.

The document she'd been typing up had gone. The page was just a single sentence. She wanted to pick the MacBook up and launch it at the wall. The screen glowed for a few more seconds and went blank, and then her phone rang. She shook her head in frustration.

She picked the phone up and placed it to her ear. "I'll be there Parker, just give me twenty minutes to get dressed."

She text Emily the situation before she huffed her way out of the apartment door.

_- x -_

"Emily," the voice called as Emily opened the door to her apartment. She turned her head right towards the staircase that led upstairs. Amelia was walking towards her with something in her hand.

"I need you to be neighbourly. My laptop has decided to buckle and I really need to send these emails. I have the attachments saved on this," she held up a USB stick in Emily's direction. "Can you help me, please?"

Emily hesitated as she stood outside her apartment door, Amelia looked flushed. Her cheeks were red, her hair was messy and she looked like she was in a bit of a panic. Really, Amelia shouldn't be talking to her after her behavior in the other brunette's apartment.

"Yeah, sure. Come in," Emily said as she opened the door and allowed the other woman to walk in first. The place smelled like flowers even though she had none.

"Laptop is over there," Emily pointed towards the coffee table where, to her surprise, two laptops sat side by side. "Use the one on the right, that's mine. If you use Ali's she will cut your hands off and I won't stop her."

Amelia chuckled nervously. She looked nervous, like she was afraid of being in Emily's apartment for some reason. "Are you okay?" Emily asked as she sat her keys on the kitchen counter. The made a rattle through the silent apartment.

Amelia looked around the apartment, taking everything in, Emily imagined that's what she had looked like in Amelia's apartment too. "What? Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine…I just want to get these sent off. It's to do with my apartment back home."

Emily watched as Amelia took a seat on the couch, she hesitated before she leaned over and flipped the screen up. "Do you have a password you need to put in? I won't look don't worry," she smiled in Emily's direction.

Emily shook her head. "No, there's nothing really on there anyway. Just some music. I don't have time to use it for my leisure as you can imagine."

She watched as Amelia slid the USB stick into the port and clicked a few times on the mouse pad, when she was done relief flooded her face.

"You seem nervous?" Emily questioned as she leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"No, I'm fine," Amelia reasoned as she pulled the USB stick out of the computer. She shut the lid back over and the Apple logo glowed white for a few seconds before it went blank. "I just needed to get it done, time was ticking."

"Have you officially left California behind then?" Emily asked.

The brunette nodded as she stood up from the black leather couch. "I have, it's been a whirlwind but it looks like I'm finally getting settled. I've even met a few people around here now."

"Well, that always makes things a bit easier."

Amelia smiled at her. "I will be out of your hair now, don't worry."

Emily walked her to the door and opened it for her.

"It's nice being neighbourly isn't it?" Amelia asked cheerfully as she turned and faced Emily fully before she stepped out of the door and sauntered back down the hallway.

_- x -_

It was ten to midnight and Emily had unbuttoned the cuffs of her shirt, she undone the top two buttons for good measure. She had her shoes off and her socked feet were propped up on the coffee table. The remnants of a peanut butter sandwich sat next to her feet and an empty beer bottle. She was considering another beer when there was a knock at the door.

It was now seven minutes to her birthday. Twenty-eight and she was spending it alone. Hanna had a meeting in the morning. Alison's meeting had ran over late so she was coming over early morning instead, and Spencer and Toby had family commitments. At least twenty-eight wasn't a birthday in need of a big celebration.

"Who is it?" Emily called through the door as she stood up, wary of who was on the other side.

"It's me," Alison answered.

Emily frowned. "Why are you knocking? You know you can just come in, Ali."

Emily heard Ali sigh impatiently. "Just open the door Em, and please hurry."

A smile spread across her face as she opened the door, Alison stood in the corridor with a hand on her hip. Her poppy red coat was tied tight at the waist, and highlighted the curves of her hips Emily couldn't complain at the amount of leg and cleavage it showed either. It was short enough that Emily could see the black stockings she was wearing came only to her upper thighs.

She had heels on that raised her to the same height as Emily and lengthened her legs. She smiled back at Emily and then batted her long, curled eyelashes. Her eyes were their usual brilliant azure blue.

"Is this your birthday present for me?" Emily asked brightly.

Alison stepped forward and placed her hand on Emily's chest. "Part of it," she said. "You know it's your birthday in like five minutes?"

Emily moved her hand to Ali's thigh, feeling the stockings give way to soft, smooth flesh. Her detective skills were leading her to think that whatever the blonde was wearing under the red coat was not much. But she had a feeling she was going to find out for definite. "I do, so you better come in."

She walked past Emily, her hips swinging and exposing the back of her thighs as the red coat lifted with the motion. Emily glanced down the empty hallway as she closed the door, wondering if anyone had seen Alison come into the building like that. She doubted it at this time.

When Emily turned back to the room, Alison was standing in front of the MacBook, typing something into the keyboard. The blonde's eyes were fixed on the screen and she typed quickly. You could tell she done that kind of thing for a living.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked.

Ali looked up at her and winked. "Putting some music on, you can't have a lap dance with no music," she replied. She hit another button and the MacBook burst into song, it was some sort of dance number that Emily hadn't heard before. That didn't surprise her, she'd never really cared much for dance music.

Ali nudged the coffee table before she wheeled the desk chair into the middle of the living room. Emily stood with her hands in her pockets and watched as Ali adjusted the position of the chair and then she twirled and faced the brunette's direction. Emily could feel the pulse of the music bounce off the walls.

Alison unbuttoned the top button of her coat and pulled up at the collar, exposing more skin, and then she sauntered towards Emily, hips swaying in time to the music. She glowed. She was Technicolor. Emily could feel the familiar again twitch in her stomach.

The heels accentuated the curve of Alison's hips and Emily felt like she was getting pulled towards her. She could physically feel Alison getting closer, the pressure in her stomach building with each step. The brunette imagined Ali's arms around her neck, her fingers unbuttoning the rest of her shirt, the blonde's mouth on her own...

But when Alison was within arms length, she stopped moving. Emily's body constricted with frustrated desire. She wanted to touch Ali. She needed to touch Ali. She took her hands out of her pockets and took a step forward.

"Ah, ah," Ali warned, a flirty smile played across her lips. She reached for Emily's wrist and walked her to the chair that she had positioned in the middle of the room. God she was beautiful. Sometimes Emily still found it unbelievable that Alison wanted her.

Alison sat Emily down, opened her legs and stepped in between her knees. "Stay here," she said and leaned in to kiss Emily on the mouth, her hand raked through dark hair as Emily's tongue explored her mouth. Emily head was swimming. She lifted her hands to the blonde's hips.

Alison pulled back as soon as Emily had touched her. Alison giggled, her cheeks were rosy and Emily wondered when she was finally going to take the coat off.

"It's a lap dance Em, and you're not allowed to touch yet," she said. She leaned down so their faces were inches apart, Emily's eyes dipped to the opening of the blonde's coat. She could see the black material of a bra strap.

She stood up and made her way across the living room, Emily exhaled as Alison closed the blinds. She wanted to turn around to watch the blonde but she stared straight head because the prize would be worth it. Ali's heels clicked against the floor as she came back up behind her.

Emily caught her subtle perfume as Ali leaned over her shoulder, their cheeks pressed together, she reached down Emily's shirt and unbuttoned a few of the buttons easily. Her touch was full of promise and Emily could feel her self resolve fading. When Ali appeared back in front of her the coat was gone.

The black lace bra and underwear she had on contrasted against her pale skin perfectly. Emily's eyes roamed freely over her and Alison was pretty sure her heartbeat was audible to both of them. She'd never done this before and she hoped she was doing it right. It looked as if she was judging by Emily's face.

Emily watched as Ali closed her eyes. The blood took a breath for second and she slowly slid her finer along the edge of one of her stockings. _She was nervous_. But before Emily could reassure her, blue eyes sparkled in her direction and Ali started to dance. Emily looked to the ceiling and thanked whoever was looking over her.

Ali's eyes remained trained on her as she moved freely, her hips rolling. She ran her hands over her breasts and down her stomach before she moaned. Emily felt all her blood rush to the surface. Ali's tongue flicked across her bottom lip as her hips kept swinging, Emily found it hard to swallow. She didn't really know much about lap dances, but she knew then that Alison was good at them.

Alison smiled as she put her hands on Emily's knees and pushed them apart, she stepped in between the brunette's legs and she could feel Emily's breath on her bare chest. With her hips moving in circles, she lowered herself onto Emily's lap, she moved slowly though, so by the time that she made contact with Emily, every muscle in the brunette's body was coiled.

Blonde hair brushed her face as Alison moved against her, every movement sent a jolt through her body and she finally grabbed a hold of Ali's hips holding her in place. She kissed the blonde eagerly as her hands ran delicately up over the blonde's spine.

She pulled back and Emily noticed that one of the bra straps had come loose, it was hanging over her upper arm. She leaned around and unhooked it at the back, and allowed it to drop down her arms. Emily's heart lurched in her chest. She was on fire.

Alison kneeled and placed a hand on each of Emily's knees, her thumbs tracing the inside of the brunette's thighs. When she was completely between Emily's legs she started unbuttoning the rest of her shirt. She did it deliberately, starting at the bottom and working her way up. When she was done, she moved the shirt open and unbuttoned Emily's jeans.

Emily made a grateful noise and she looked up and smiled as Ali leaned back down to kiss her. The blonde moved her hand into Emily's hair as she pulled them closer. Emily reached out and pulled Alison onto her, the chair rocked back slightly before it settled Alison on her lap.

"How was your lap dance?" Alison breathed as Emily's hand palmed her breasts roughly.

"Better than I could have ever have imagined," Emily replied as she leaned up and sucked on the blonde's pulse point, she could feel Ali's hands tighten in her hair. "You… are incredible."

She ran her thumb over a straining nipple and smiled as Ali moaned and pushed down on her lap, lowering her mouth to the blonde's chest. Emily tugged her hand lower, allowing her thumb to skate along the inside of Ali's thigh, deliberately moving over the blonde's soaked underwear.

"I think you enjoyed it too," Emily purred as she ran her thumb over Ali's underwear, deliberately pressing against the blonde's clit. She attached her lips around Ali's nipple, swirling over the tip of it with her tongue. The sensation of Emily's mouth against her while the brunette's hand worked against her underwear caused her hips to move eagerly against Emily's hand.

She pushed Ali's underwear to the side, running her fingers through warm flesh before slipping her two fingers easily inside. The blonde continued to kiss her as she moved against Emily's fingers, she pulled at the brunette's shirt, throwing it in a heap on the floor.

Her back arched as Emily's fingers curled inside her and she felt a strong arm wrap around her lower back to hold her in place. She opened her eyes to be met by dark brown ones filled with lust, filled with something Ali had never seen before. Emily curled her fingers again and she leaned down to bite the brunette's shoulder in an attempt to stifle a moan.

The seat creaked underneath them as Ali continued to move against Emily's fingers, her thighs shook with exertion, with excitement, with a combination of every sensation that she was feeling for Emily.

"Don't stop, Em," she gasped as Emily thrusted deeper inside her.

Emily shook her head as the blonde's lips crashed against her own. She felt Alison bite down gently on her bottom lip. Alison took her again and again, hot and wet and tight, until she couldn't stand it any longer. Her breath caught in the back of her throat.

"I'm going to come," Alison breathed.

For some reason, Alison thought Emily would tease her more, but instead, Emily's fingers continued to thrust quickly. She dug her nails into Emily's shoulders and heard as the brunette let out a little growl of pain and pleasure. She threw her head back and moaned loudly as she finally had her release.

Emily kissed over the blonde's exposed throat before Ali's head's finally turned back in her direction. The brunette's head swooned. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Alison grinned as she wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Happy birthday, baby," she said sweetly before her hand began to wander lower against Emily's stomach.

_- x -_

Emily ran her hand through her damp hair as she walked back into the living room. The noise of the music that was blaring from the laptop was driving her insane. She closed down the window that contained about a thousand music videos ready to play one after another. The room went silent apart from the sound of Ali grabbing a few things from the bedroom.

Despite it being after one in the morning, Emily walked round to the fridge and pulled another beer. It was her birthday after all. She opened the bottle and took a large gulp of it before she had even closed the fridge door. Then she headed towards the living room, glancing at the open laptop as she approached.

She froze, her eyes trained on the tiny red dot that was on just above the center of the screen. She didn't use it, not regularly anyway, only with her parents. But it had been weeks since their last Skype call. She saw Alison saunter down the hall and raised her hand so she wouldn't walk any further.

An uneasy sensation spread across her shoulders, like dozens of sharp pins biting into her flesh. She turned slowly towards the chair she had been sat in an hour ago, the computer looked right onto it. Breathing quickly, Emily turned back to the laptop. "Did you turn this camera on, Ali?"

"What?" Alison smiled playfully, her eyebrows raised.

"This isn't a joke, did you turn this on earlier?" Emily asked again.

"No."

The tingling sensation burned down towards her arms. The hairs on the back of her neck lifted. She recognised the feeling. It was the feeling of being watched. She squinted at the red camera lens. It was like a red eye. Her lungs were heavy like they were full of water.

"Someone was watching us. Is watching us."

Alison looked dumfounded. "What?"

Emily wiped the sweat from her hands before she fumbled around for her phone. It was on the kitchen counter, she grabbed Ali's wrist and tugged on the blonde to follow her. "Someone is on that computer. Someone who isn't us. I need to call Toby."

Alison's face creased with worry. She buried her face into Emily's shoulder as she heard the tell tale ring through the phone that was pressed to Emily's ear. It could be a simple mistake, it could be an error with the camera, it could even just be a problem with the MacBook itself. She repeated that in her head but she didn't believe it.

_- x -_

Within thirty minutes Toby, Donny, Hanna and Spencer were stood in the middle of her living room.

"Have you downloaded anything?" Donny asked as he finally took a seat in front of the laptop, the red camera lens hadn't gone out yet.

"No," Emily replied as she looked across at Ali. "I hardly use it, and when I do it's to Skype my parents."

"Well, if this is being used by someone externally there is something on here that will give us an indication of how it's happened."

Emily screwed her eyes shut. It wasn't just that they were being watched, it was the thought of someone watching her and Ali doing what they had been.

"Amelia," she muttered more to herself than anyone else. "Amelia," she said louder as Alison's eyes snapped in her direction.

"Earlier, she told me she needed to send some emails about her apartment in California so I let her use this. She looked panicked like she needed to do it right away so I let her use my computer with her USB stick." Alison just stared at her, she only blinked once.

Donny's fingers worked quickly against the keyboard as Hanna walked over to Alison's side, giving the other blonde a gentle nudge of reassurance on the shoulder.

"Where is her apartment?" Toby asked. Emily pointed directly at the ceiling and before she had time to utter the number Toby was already out the door and heading towards the stairs.

"Someone is controlling this from the outside, someone is running a program on it, you don't even have to have anything installed for it you just have to run it." Donny shut the computer over before he looked at Emily. "My guess would be that it came from the USB stick that she was using."

Emily shook her head and slammed her fist angrily against the kitchen counter.

_- x -_

Amelia looked worse now than she did several hours ago. Emily was certain that she had tampered with her MacBook while she was supposedly sorting her emails. She'd known exactly what she had been doing. Alison had been right all along.

"Are we playing neighbours again so soon?" Amelia asked as she looked between everyone in the room.

"I'm not playing here," Emily replied sternly. Amelia was afraid now, she tried to hide it, but Emily could see the colour vanish from her cheeks. She looked back at Toby who rotated the USB stick in his fingers.

"You have a lot of responsibility, a lot of power and sometimes it's good to give that up for a while, find a new lease of life." The statement was directed at Emily but she knew it was a reference to Alison.

Emily scoffed. "You've been watching me haven't you? Who for?"

"Answer her or I will make sure the next time you see a USB stick will be in a history book in about 50 years," Toby said from the corner of the room, he had his arms folded across his chest and promised an imposing figure.

"Who paid you Amelia?" Emily asked.

"I don't know, I was contacted via email and was paid through an offshore account. The contact was limited," she said it casually like it was a bank arrangement for a loan. "Since I've been here I've been keeping tabs on you. Everywhere you've been. Even today at the lap dancing bar, I was there."

Emily felt like she had been sucker punched in the gut. "What's on the flash drive?"

"I don't know, I was instructed not to use anything apart from what I did tonight."

Toby's phone ringing made her hesitate. Amelia waited until he was out of the room until she spoke again. "I didn't know who you were when I agreed to the booking."

"Are you really from California?" Emily asked.

"Yes and my personal details are all true. Originally I traveled the word with my job, I specialise in the girlfriend experience but someone had beaten me to that." Everyone turned to look at Alison. Alison simply blinked in Amelia's direction as if trying to stop herself from exploding.

"That psycho bitch is involved in this Emily, I don't know how she is from prison but she is," Hanna roared from the kitchen and Alison flinched in surprise at Hanna's outburst. "Tell us the fucking truth," she shouted at Amelia.

Toby appeared back at the door, his face was flushed. Alison thought if he was a cartoon character she would be able to see the steam flying out of his ears. The veins in his throat throbbed against his skin.

"Jessica," Emily said softly. She wanted to laugh. She wanted Toby to tell her that she was wrong, but she could see the truth in Toby's face as Toby stepped back into the apartment.

"She got out," Toby said.

"The other night, she didn't get attacked, she done that to herself to see what the security would be like. There were no marks anywhere else on her, I should have realised. She had this planned the whole fucking time," Emily replied angrily. "But how the fuck did she just walk out of there?"

"They found Andrews in her cell, dead. Looks like she used a razor blade. My guess is she just swiped out using Andrews card and instead of going through the whole prison she used the back exit directly onto the parking lot. Taken the doctors clothes too. Car's gone. Everything. Andrews card signed out at ten thirty, just after lights out so she has nearly four hours on us."

Emily closed her eyes and laughed weakly as she shook her head. Her mind wandered back to the other night when she had visited Jessica. _"I could kill you Emily, you never know when I might have a sharpened toothbrush tucked under my mattress or a razor blade hidden up my sleeve."_

Jessica had let her live. Again.

Amelia's head snapped up in their direction. "That's who contacted me. Andrews. The woman's name was Robin Andrews."


	22. Dirty Little Secret

_Last update before Christmas guys! Have an awesome Christmas with your friends/family etc and a massive thank you for making this story a success. You have been amazing and so very supportive and I can't thank you all enough. Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter and I should be back with a new chapter before 2015! Have a good one and if you want to wish me a happy Christmas leave me a review haha. That'd be a nice gift :'). You are all awesome!_

* * *

><p>"I've disabled the camera, so no feed can go in or out of it," Donny called from the kitchen counter, the laptop sat glowing in front of him. Emily could see that the red dot had vanished.<p>

The view of the ceiling disappeared as Emily screwed her eyes shut. Robin Andrews, Emily hadn't seen that one coming. Jessica's words rang in her ears. _'You'd be surprised at what people in this prison can be manipulated to do.' _Emily had thought, initially, that Jessica was talking about the person who had cut her neck, but she hadn't been. She'd been talking about herself with Andrews.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Amelia asked from the desk chair that she was sitting in. Toby hadn't stopped scowling at her since he had brought her down from her apartment. The red veins were still popping dangerously in his neck and temple.

Emily shook her head. "Technically, and I mean technically, you haven't done anything wrong. I let you use my computer with my permission, you paid for the apartment with the right money and nothing would stick." Amelia looked visibly relieved.

"Give me the flash drive," Emily said to Toby.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out the silver flash drive and placed it into her open palm. She didn't know why, but Emily thought that whatever was on the flash drive was not going to be good. For anyone, for that matter, but especially her. She knew it wouldn't be good for her. It never was when it came to Jessica.

"Give me a second," she mumbled to Alison as she walked over into the kitchen where her laptop continued to hum against the kitchen counter. Donny handed her the laptop and she made her way back over towards the couch. Spencer and Hanna were having a heated conversation outside her apartment door but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

She slid the flash drive into the port as Alison took a seat next to her. She waited for something to happen, an indication that the flash drive was working but nothing happened. She tapped the keyboard a few times but there was still no flash drive icon on the desktop.

"There's something on here that she wants me to see."

Alison reached over and wiggled the flash drive in the port. Within seconds the end of the flash drive had lit up orange and an icon had appeared on the right hand side of her screen. Alison glanced at her with a small smile but she didn't say anything.

Emily clicked on the icon and opened the only folder that was on it. She ran the mouse over the names of them but they weren't document files, they were video files. She squinted her eyes and thought about what they could be; she came up empty.

"Click on it, we need to get this over with," Alison said.

Emily clicked on one of the icons and a window opened with a few thumbnails, each with a different label. _Living room 1. Living room 2_. Living room 3. Emily scanned them all with her eyes until they stopped at _Living room 8_. She clicked backwards and onto another icon. This one had the same kind of files only they were renamed _Bedroom 1. Bedroom 2_. They, too, went all the way up to number 8.

She went back into the first icon before she looked up from her computer. Toby was standing near the door next to Spencer and Hanna while Donny sat at the kitchen counter occupied with his own laptop and Amelia still sat in the desk chair near the middle of the floor.

"Just click on it and get this over with," Alison repeated as she rested her head on Emily's shoulder.

Emily moved the mouse over _Living room 1_, another box opened and then the laptop began to whir as the video started loading.

"Do you really have no idea what this is about or what's on here?" Alison asked.

Emily looked at the screen, pressed pause and then looked back at the blonde. Ali was inquisitive by nature. She needed to know everything, especially if it concerned her even in the most extraneous ways. Emily leaned over and tucked loose blonde hair behind Ali's ear.

"I have no idea what's on here, but I know that whatever it is, is about me or to get at me. She's had this planned since the beginning. She waited until she found someone she could manipulate enough. No one would suspect a respectable person like Andrews, Ali."

Alison nodded and reached down to for Emily's free hand. "Well, we better watch what she wants you to see."

She pressed the space bar and the two of them sat in awkward half silence as the video began to play. An image appeared on the screen and it took a moment for Emily to orient herself. The footage was of Jessica's living room, only the light in the corner was on. Everything was shadowy. She could visualise where the camera had been placed in Jessica's living room.

"It's not working," Alison complained as she shifted forward on the couch.

"Yes it is," Emily replied. "Nothing's happening in that room right now so nothing's happening on the screen."

Emily was right, if Alison looked closely she could see the curtain blowing softly against the window. They watched for a minute as nothing happened before Emily clicked on the fast forward button. Then Alison saw the shadowy movements of people moving into the frame of the camera.

Emily's eyes widened in realisation of what was going to happen. "I'm stopping this, you aren't watching this." They stared at the screen, Ali's eyes flickered towards Emily before they want back onto the laptop. Emily tasted something coppery in her mouth. Blood. She had bitten the inside of her cheek. "You can't watch this, Ali."

Emily stared into glittery blue eyes before she was forced to blink and by the time she had Alison had pressed the play button again. The figures on the screen stepped into the frame more fully this time. Emily recognised herself immediately, her head was back smiling and she had her arm wrapped around a woman. Alison knew it was Jessica.

In the video, Jessica led Emily to the couch and then gently lowered her onto it. She stood for a second before she kneeled on the ground in front of Emily, her hands reaching for the belt buckle around Emily's midsection.

Emily had her head back, leaning against the back of the couch. Jessica took a second to look up at the camera, like a magician revealing her secret. Emily heard Ali's sharp intake of breath but she couldn't take her eyes away from what was playing on the screen.

Jessica said something directly into the camera. Emily could see her lips moving but she'd done it silently because Emily remembered that night and Jessica hadn't said anything at that point.

"Oh, God," she heard Ali say. It was muffled though, like Alison had said it through her hands, like she was covering her mouth. When Emily glanced around she found Ali doing exactly that.

In the video, Jessica stood and curled over Emily, knees at either side of Emily's now bare thighs. Jessica pulled the sweater she was wearing over her head, and shimmied out the tiny shorts she was wearing. Emily could see the ridges of Jessica's naked spine as she coiled over Emily's body.

Jessica lowered her head next to the brunette's, her hair falling like a dark curtain around them. She was talking to her, Emily could remember the explicit details of what Jessica had said to her that night. She could see Jessica's hand snake down her front as Emily's hands wandered over her.

On the screen Jessica's hips began to rock and an uncomfortable sensation swelled in Emily's chest like a balloon. Jessica's head was still beside her own, immersed in their conversation, but she was clinging to Emily, her body wrapped around Emily's like ivy.

"I'm turning this off," Emily stated as she reached for the laptop, she was stopped by a surprisingly strong hold from Alison.

"No. I need to see this, Emily."

Emily searched Ali's face for any hint of how she was feeling but she found nothing. She knew she wouldn't win this argument. She couldn't hear anything apart from Ali's breathing. Hanna, Toby and Spencer's voices had died down into nothing. For all she knew they weren't even there anymore.

They both looked back at the screen, Jessica's body was working furiously against her. Emily could see the thin shadow of her hand as Jessica continued to lower herself onto it. Jessica's mouth was open, her eyes were half shut and her head was tilted back as if performing especially for the camera. It didn't take long, Jessica was like an extra sensitive nerve.

Emily watched as the other brunette's shoulders jerked forward, her head dropped onto Emily's shoulders. Sitting on the couch in her living room, she could still feel the raw pain of Jessica's teeth sinking deeply into her flesh. Jessica's head rolled back once more and Emily heard her gasp.

But the video on the screen didn't have any sound. It had been Alison. Emily lifted her head as Alison moved away from the couch, stumbling backwards towards the corridor. The impact of what she had just watched was overwhelming, her stomach bubbled with acid. Alison gasped again.

But this time Emily recognised the sound for what it was. It wasn't a gasp. It was a retch. She closed her eyes before she stood but Alison shook her head furiously in her direction. "Don't come near me. I'm going to be sick right now."

_- x -_

Hanna was pacing. Emily was sat on the couch, her legs and arms were crossed, and she wished she could be anywhere else in the world. She even thought that she'd take the basement right now over this. Alison was curled up at the other side of the couch, the space between them was almost tangible.

Ali's blue eyes were wide and her lip was bitten between two perfect white teeth. She sat crossed legged, her legs up on the couch, her arms wrapped around a pillow that she had pulled closely into her body. She had worried a loose thread at the edge of the pillow until it had formed a pool of material in her palm, some of the material had come completely off the pillow. Emily had liked that pillow but she didn't ask Ali to stop.

"Whatever is on the laptop, are you sure it isn't just a set up to make you look bad?" Toby asked as he sat on the leather chair across from them. His face was tense and his jaw muscles bulged as he ground his teeth.

"Yes," Emily replied quietly. "This was her plan all a long. She waited until she found the right person to help her and when she did, this was the plan. It always had been the plan, to get out."

"This was all for you, Emily," Alison said stiffly. Her eyes were focused on the pillow on her lap. Her fingers were wrapped around another loose piece of thread, tugging at it gently. "She done this for you, risked all this for you because it was your birthday." Hanna stopped pacing and sat on the end of the couch next to Emily. Spencer took point next to Alison.

Emily didn't know what Alison wanted her to say. It was true but she should have seen it coming. She should have known Jessica wouldn't forget her birthday.

"It wasn't enough for her to see you in the prison every now and then," Alison said simply, pulling out another loose thread. "She wanted you to know that she was willing to break out for you. She wanted you to see this as your own little happy birthday present from her."

She fixed her gaze on Emily, eyes like shards of blue glass. "She wanted you to see her," Ali's mouth curled in disgust, "all over you. I bet she loved it even more knowing that I'd see it too."

Emily watched Hanna and Spencer share worried looks. Toby gazed over at her as if everything was finally clicking into place. All his suspicions and fears about her and Jessica's relationship. She was glad another officer had come for Amelia and Donny earlier. It was better that they were out of the way.

She leaned over and attempted to touch Ali's arm. "Don't fucking touch me, Emily," she scathed as she stood up and stomped towards the bedroom. The sound of the door slamming vibrated angrily around the apartment.

Of all the people in the world, Ali was the last person Emily would have chosen to see that video. But Alison had insisted she watch it, she reminded herself. _That doesn't matter you should have stopped it. Should have pressed stop and destroyed the flash drive._

"Em, what the hell – "

"Just don't Han, okay? Not now. I have to fix this first," Emily said as she stood and walked towards the bedroom.

_- x -_

Emily opened the door into her bedroom. Alison was sitting on her side of the bed staring out of the window. Emily could hear her hastily attempt to sniff away the tears.

"Did she think you'd enjoy that little momento?" Alison asked coldly. "Are you flattered? Does it turn you on? Does she still turn you on?"

Emily paced towards the bed before she dropped to her knees in front of the blonde. "No," Emily said, her voice strong. "No," she repeated. She needed to make Alison understand that when it came to Jessica her mind was clear, it hadn't used to be but it was now. But it wasn't enough for Ali. That was evident.

She was looking at Emily with tears in her eyes, small circles peppered the long t-shirt she was wearing. They were tear splashes. She'd seen the same wounded expression on Paige's face at the beginning. That was Jessica's weapon, she knew she was always there in the background even if Emily didn't want her to be.

"She wants me to know that she's still there, that's what this is about," Emily said to Alison before she shrugged helplessly. "She's clever. Not many people can break out of prison and stay ahead for nearly five hours. And if she doesn't want to be found she won't be," Emily admitted.

"She will never let you go," Alison murmured quietly. "She knew I would see that video too." Tears fell honestly down her face, caressing her cheek before falling down her chin. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, she didn't care how gross it was. Emily didn't seem to care.

Alison couldn't see it, Emily realised. Jessica knew how much Alison meant to her, how much she cared for the blonde already, how much she could _love _Alison and she was taking serious measures to eliminate the possibility that their relationship could move past it's infant stage. She reached up and covered Ali's hand with her own.

"You know what I think?" Alison said harshly. "I think you're still beating yourself up for what happened between you two and that's why you won't get her put into a facility where she's chained to a damn bed every day. She deserves that."

Emily's head had begun to hurt. "I think I've paid enough for what I done with her."

"Then why doesn't anyone know about your relationship?" Alison asked. "Tell them that you had a relationship with Jessica Jackson, I don't mean everyone but they people in your living room? They should know. It's part of the whole story isn't it? They are going to want to know what happened on that stupid fucking video and – " the rest of the sentence was cut off as a sob caught in her throat.

Emily leaned up and pulled Alison into her body, she felt small-balled fists push fiercely against her chest. "I'm not letting you go," Emily whispered as tears fell from her face and into Ali's hair, the blonde was shaking in her arms.

She hated herself. In that minute, Emily hated everything that she had done, every time that she had touched Jessica burned painfully in her memory. She ran her hand through Ali's hair as the blonde continued to cry against her chest. She hated herself for hurting Alison too. Maybe even more than she hated herself for being with Jessica.

"Let me go," Alison argued as she pushed back against Emily's chest. Her heart was constricting in her chest. The video had been like living a nightmare. Watching the person that she was falling in love with, with another woman made her whole body ache.

"No," Emily said, her voice cracking.

They stayed like that for nearly twenty minutes; Alison didn't think she had any more tears to cry. Her fists rested on Emily's chest, she could feel the brunette's erratic heartbeat underneath and she could feel the damp patch in her hair where Emily's tears had seeped through. She was glad that Emily hadn't let her go, it gave her some sort of solace.

Emily looked at her with pleading brown eyes. Alison shook her head gently before she placed her hand on Emily's cheek, the brunette moved her face into the touch and Alison moved her thumb against the warm flesh, catching a few stray tears.

"Why is she doing this Emily? I know she wants you but can't she see that she's done enough to you?"

"She sees you as a challenge. She wants to win. She wants me to choose her over you. I know it's fucked up, trust me I do. But to her, it makes some sort of sick sense." She thought of how carefully Jessica had laid the preparation for this plan. It was borderline genius. "She doesn't want to kill you Ali, that would be cheating in her mind. She just wants to eliminate you out of my life."

"She's crazy," Alison said sincerely. "She's a psycho bitch like Hanna said. Even from a prison she could get to you. Hell, we don't have a clue where she is now. Could be down the corridor waiting for us all."

Emily smiled softly. "You sound like Hanna and Jessica won't be here, she knows the whole task force and more are searching for her."

"You do want her caught Emily, don't you?"

"Yes, I want her caught." It broke Emily's heart to see the insecurity in Ali's features. Her eyes, her mouth, her actions. The truth was that Emily didn't think they had a chance of catching Jessica. She was smarter than all of them, her included. But she wasn't going to admit it. "Ali, are you going to leave me?"

The question hung heavily in the air before Alison shook her head gently. "No." She leaned down and pressed her lips against Emily's, they were still wet with tears, and she could taste the saltiness in her mouth. "But I want to spend the night at home, I need away from here to clear my head of her."

"I'll do it," Emily said. "I'll tell them about Jessica if it will help you to have it out in the open."

Alison tilted her head in the brunette's direction. She had a feeling that Emily felt the same as her, was falling in love just as she was, and would do anything for her if it were within reach. She knew Emily had told no one about her relationship with Jessica and the fact that she would for them spoke volumes for her.

"It'll help us and trust me you'll feel better with it all out in the open. You will finally close the page on that chapter. They all love you out there and that won't change." She cupped Emily's face with her hand before she kissed the brunette softly again.

_- x -_

Emily was sorting her t-shirt when she walked into the living room. Alison trailed slightly behind her, their fingers linked. Alison's purse was over her shoulder. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them. Toby sat on Emily's sofa with Spencer, Hanna sat on the chair across from them, The laptop sat on the coffee table – it was still closed to Emily's relief.

Alison had untangled their fingers and was pulling a bottle of water from the fridge, her phone was in her other hand. The blonde's eyes flickered back down to the screen when it buzzed.

Emily forced herself to look around her living room, to meet all of their eyes, until, one by one, they all looked away and at Alison who slid a bottle over the kitchen counter in Emily's direction.

"Do you need to talk to someone, Em?" Spencer asked.

They were all looking at Emily again, apart from Alison, who was taking a drink out of the bottled water. She could hear the liquid travel down the blonde's throat.

"What do you want me to say? She's out and they are trying to catch her, that's basically all there is to say on the matter," Emily said. This was exactly the kind of thing that Emily had wanted to avoid. All of their eyes brimming with concern, as if Jessica was standing in the middle of the living room with them.

Emily swallowed hard and looked at Alison. The blonde smiled softly at her and Emily knew she'd go through with it. "Look," she said. "I know some of you may have thought this before," she looked at Toby, who she knew, had thought that her and Jessica's relationship had had more to it than met the eye.

"Emily," Toby said quickly, "you don't need to do this."

Emily could feel the weight of her best friends' attention on her. It made her cheeks burn red. "I'll just be clear," she shut her eyes. "I had a relationship with her. Jessica and I had a physical relationship during the time that she was involved with the investigation." She opened her eyes as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

Spencer looked up at her while she linked her fingers through Toby's but Emily could tell from her expression that her dirty little secret had not been news to Spencer. She wondered what Spencer had figured out on her own and what Toby had told her of his own thoughts. Hanna just stared from the chair.

"That what's on the laptop," Emily nodded downwards. "That's her reliving our old times together. A whole video of us."

She'd done it. She'd said it out loud.

She stole a glance at Alison who was standing right beside her now, their fingers threaded together. The blonde was looking up at her. "You done the right thing," Alison said quietly as she squeezed Emily's fingers reassuringly in between her own.

"Fuck," Hanna muttered to herself. "Is that why she let you live?"

Emily had considered that specific question plenty of times over the months. "I have no idea why she let me live Han, I promise you that. I have no clue."

Hanna leaned back in the chair and stuffed her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie. "Why this confession now?"

Emily looked down at Ali who was still gazing up at her. "I don't really care who knows anymore."

She turned her attention to Toby. "I know that it's been kept relatively quiet so far and there's not been any statements but we can't keep a lid on the fact that she's escaped. People need to know."

Jessica had designed this scenario after all, and if Jessica expected them to keep her appearance quiet then they had to do the opposite. They had to shout it from the rooftops, even if they had no chance of catching her. She was like a fire and they needed to feed it before it burned out.

"You guys have to warn people," Alison said as she pressed herself tightly against Emily's side, the brunette's arm wrapped around her.

"She's right," Spencer agreed.

"So, what?" Hanna asked. "So we can lock our doors and pray she doesn't come to slaughter us? The less people who know the better. It'll cause chaos around here."

"I'm telling you Toby, we need to get a hold of Johnstone and tell him to release a statement," Emily said exasperated. "You think people won't notice the increased police presence everywhere?"

"I know what you're saying but I think we should keep it quiet for now. It'll be carnage," Toby replied.

The sound of Ali's phone buzzing brought them out of the silence that the living room had been plunged into. Her eyes scanned the text quickly, Emily's eyes fell onto the screen too and she squeezed the blonde's waist.

"It's done," she announced to the group.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Toby asked as he sat forward on the couch.

"I went to Donna at the _Herald_, she's good and I trust her," Alison answered as she pulled her car keys out of her purse. She'd quickly realised that this story would be better than being at home and mulling over Jessica and Emily in the video. The quicker her mind forgot about that the better. If it ever did.

"What did you tell them exactly?" Spencer asked.

"That Jessica broke out, I didn't mention anything about Amelia or that… video on the laptop."

"Okay, I better go and call Johnstone then and take Spencer to the offices," Toby stated as he walked over towards Emily and Alison. "And you, you are banned from any of my future press conferences just so you know," he jabbed Ali gently in the shoulder.

"Oh," Alison said, her brows knitting into a frown. "That hurts." She smiled up at Emily.

Emily watched as Toby helped Spencer up off the couch and Hanna followed suit, straightening her hoodie before she made her approach to where Emily and Alison were standing. Alison smiled at Emily before she untangled herself from the brunette's arms.

"You could have told me, Em," Hanna murmured as she pulled Emily into a bone crushing hug. "But I swear if she goes psycho on you again, she is going to have to answer to me. I'm staying here with you." Emily laughed into her best friend's shoulder.

"You don't have to stay here, Han."

The blonde looked at her and shrugged. "I know but I want to."

"Where's your gun?" Toby asked.

"Over there on the table next to the window seat."

She walked to the table and picked up the gun. She checked the magazine for bullets and remembered that they were in her pocket from the lap dancing bar. She paced to her bedroom to grab her pants where she retrieved the bullets. When she was done she sat it on the kitchen counter in front of Toby. He nodded his approval.

There was an anticipatory energy in the room as they all shuffled towards the door. It was taking all of her energy to stay in the apartment. She knew Alison would be better at the office with her colleagues writing the story instead of obsessing over the video. It gave her comfort that the place would probably be packed with people. She knew Jessica wouldn't go after Alison there. She was the target not Ali.

She knew Toby and Spencer would get the rest of the team galvanized. She knew Hanna would really feel safer at home with Caleb with all of their doors locked while they sat in the living room with some sort of bat or machete as a weapon but she knew the blonde wouldn't leave her.

She reached out and grabbed Ali's hand as the blonde was about to leave. Toby and Spencer were already a few paces down the hall. "You go straight to the office and meet Donna okay? You don't stop for anyone. Toby will be ahead of you most of the way anyway."

"Straight to the office," Alison repeated.

They eyed each other affectionately, her blonde hair looked curlier than usual. It made her face look rounder, softer even. Ali reached up and traced her finger a long Emily's face. "I really don't want to leave you, you know? I just need to get out of here for a little while."

Emily nodded. "I know you don't, but the quicker this is out the quicker the heat is on her fully."

She pressed her mouth to Emily's and relaxed as the brunette kissed her completely. She felt Emily's hands dig into her waist as she pulled them closer. When she pulled back she looked up at Emily, she was looking down at her with big brown eyes.

"I won't let her win. She won't beat me because I'm not going to leave you."

Emily smiled. "She couldn't beat you anyway," Emily replied truthfully. There was, in reality, no competition between Jessica and Alison because Alison would always win.

Always.

_- x -_

"Okay, well I'm going to pee before we wait for certain death to show up in all her beautiful glory," Hanna said, before darting for the bathroom. "God, I hate that bitch."

Emily went and sat down wearily on the couch. A piece of thread was stuck to the pillow next to her, an indication of Ali's annihilation of the pillow. She picked up the thread and flicked it onto the hardwood floor. She stared at it as it finally came to rest.

"She can't out run you guys forever," Hanna said as he flung herself onto the couch next to Emily.

"I know. She will turn up, she always does."

"Are you and Ali serious then?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you love her?" Hanna asked as she turned to face Emily's direction completely. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Emily smiled. "Stop trying to tease me. It's not going to work."

"Oh you totally do!"

Emily shook her head before she threw the near bald pillow in Hanna's direction. "Shut up!"

_- x -_

Alison sat in her Mini Cooper, at this time of night the roads were always generally empty. She watched as the lights of the radio came on, she listened intently but there was no mention of Jessica's break out yet. She imagined, though, that at any minute the story would break live and then the Jessica watch would start around the clock until she was found.

A knock on her window made her jump. Spencer's elegant figure loomed outside. Toby had delivered her to the car by the elbow and had shut the door for her. She wondered what Spencer was doing standing outside of her window. She turned the radio down and pressed the button to open the window.

Toby's car stopped in the middle of the road just behind her own, it's headlights sliced patterns through the darkness of her car.

"Straight to the office," Spencer said. She hesitated on her feet before she leaned a little in the car window. "Are you sure you don't want a ride with us or want us to follow you to the _Herald _offices? Just say the word and we will. We care about you too Alison."

Spencer raised her eyebrows imploringly at Alison. She was being stupid, the office was only a few miles away from here and she knew there would be cops swarming all over the place when the story broke.

"I'm fine, Spencer," Alison said and she gave the brunette a small smile. "Straight to the office. I promise."

Spencer tapped the hood of the car before she climbed into Toby's. They pulled out in front of her before Alison finally started her own car. She pulled away from the kerb and turned the radio back up. As she drove she watched as Toby's taillights disappeared into the night. Bruce Springsteen's voice enveloped her car. She bobbed her head along to the song as she continued her drive.

Alison slammed on the brakes as the car came to a stop. She heard a mountain of crap slide off her back seat and onto the floor behind her, about one hundred pens clattered against each other. A drunk couple continued their slow progress across the road, if she hadn't been paying attention she'd have missed them falling out of the shadows onto the road.

In the distance she could make out the neon sign of the coffee shop that was open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, it sat just across the road from the _Hearld's _office building. It gave her some comfort. She was nearly there.

The music stopped and the radio's announcer cut in. They reported breaking news about Jessica's escape from prison. The car spluttered forward, a low whine coming from the engine.

"No," Alison said out loud to herself. "Oh, please no," she said as it came to a stop, every light went out, the radio went silent and suddenly it was all very dark and creepy.

She hastily reached for her purse that was sat on the passenger side seat, she pushed her hand in trying to find her phone so she could phone Emily. Her hand seemed to find everything except the phone. Then she found it and tightened her grip on it, she pulled it up and nearly cried at the bright glow of it.

She swiped her finger across the lock screen being presented with the four-digit code which she entered quickly. After a second she watched as her phone lit up, a picture of her and Emily was her background. It was cheesy and she didn't care. She touched the phone icon before she went to her recent calls. She was just about to touch Emily's name when there was a knock on her window.

Alison looked up and swallowed thickly as debilitating horror clawed up her throat.

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><p><em>I know I've said it already but MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season :)!<em>

_P.s Yes the cliffhanger is your gift (muahaha) and if you like follow me on Twitter at Kirsttttt93 or Tumblr my url is amusingbutconfusingg I will follow you all back._


	23. Don't Fear The Reaper

_Hey guys, hope you have all had a brilliant Christmas. To the Guest reviewer called Andrea I don't know you but I want to give you a massive hug for that lovely review. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. There isn't much Emison but I couldn't leave any of the Jessica/Emily interaction out so I'm sorry but yeah and I know Jessica fans have waited patiently for a Jessica orientated chapter so this is for you guys. But if you enjoy then leave me a wee review! It's nice to be nice and all that kind of thing aye :)._

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><p><em>Jessica is already there; dressed from head to toe in blue inmate denim and her hands and feet are shackled to the table when Emily walks into the interview room. A month in hospital and Emily can still hardly walk across the bright room upright, despite it being two weeks after being discharged.<em>

_Jessica smiles when she sees her and it's like all of the oxygen has left the room - as if it's consumed by Jessica. Emily can't look directly at her, she glances over towards the one-way glass and she knows a guard is standing behind there. But the only image she sees is the two of them. _

_That is Jessica's terms; just the two of them._

_Emily's whole reflection is nearly swallowed by the bright yellow overhead lights that are attached to the ceiling. Her face is anticipating tears but she doesn't let them fall._

_"Hello sweetheart, I've missed you," Jessica says._

_The smell of the room reminds Emily of the basement and it makes the bitter bile rise in her throat. "What do you miss exactly?" Emily asks, her voice hoarse from the unshed tears. "My blood?"_

_Jessica folds her hands on the table in a make shift manner and tilt's her beautiful face in Emily's direction. "Have I hurt your feelings, Emily?"_

_Emily looks at her, agitated. "You cut out my appendix and carved doodles on my skin with a scalpel."_

"_I know, I remember vividly," Jessica replies as her eyes flash with excitement. "How are your scars healing anyway?"_

_"What do you want from me?" Emily asks simply._

_"You've read my terms. I want to confess everything but only to you. Then you can close all of those cases. Do you want to sit down?"_

_Emily shifts on her feet. The cotton of her t-shirt rubs at her raw scars. The heart shaped one on her breast still bleeds regularly. "No, I'll stand. And you are going to give me all of these cases just like that?"_

_Jessica lifts her head up a little and laughs. "No, you'll have to earn them sweetheart. Every Sunday you must come here to me and we will talk about it."_

_Emily pulls at the collar of her t-shirt, it's warm and she can feel the slick coat of sweat cover her back. She's here for the victims, that's what she's told herself. That's what she's told everyone. No one expected her to do it but she has because the families need closure just like she does._

_She rolls her head back and looks at the bright ceiling. Her head buzzes from the Vicodin. She just wants to go home, lock the door and forget everything. "Fine. Every Sunday, you need to give me a case that I can solve."_

_"You're high aren't you?" Jessica asks._

_"It's the painkillers," Emily argues weakly. They'd been her reward in the basement but now she's not quite sure if she actually takes them for the pain. "I will be back on Sunday so we can get started with this."_

_She turns and lumbers towards the metal door, reaching for the buzzer as she does._

_"Emily?" Jessica calls. Emily turns around and looks at the beautiful woman manacled to the table. "I love you, I hope you know that."_

_Emily blinks, but only once, because the look on the brunette's face seems unnervingly honest and there's a small part of her that actually believes Jessica._

* * *

><p>"Get up, Han," Emily said as she shrugged her shoulder free from the blonde. Hanna made an unappreciative, incoherent sound before she opened her eyes.<p>

"What time is it?" Hanna asked sleepily as she reached for her phone. She squinted at the screen before she looked up at Emily. "It's just after three, we've been asleep less than thirty minutes and, surprisingly, we're not dead!"

Emily scowled at her best friend before she stood up. Her joints ached from her sitting position on the couch. "I need to call Ali, see how things are going."

She stood up and walked towards the kitchen counter before she swiped her finger across the front of her phone and was greeted with the number ten at the top left hand corner of the screen. She clicked on her Messages icon and her eyes widened as she read the messages. They were all from the same number.

"Em?" Hanna called. "Are you okay?"

"She's text me," Emily replied as she read the same message ten times. '_Hello sweetheart, have you missed me? I couldn't miss your birthday.'_

"Well, obviously, you are together," Hanna replied simply.

"No, not Alison. Jessica." Emily heard Hanna rise up from the couch.

Her fingers moved over the keypad before she typed in a simple reply. _'Hand yourself in Jessica, you know I will find you again.'_

Emily's eyes burned from staring at the screen. A minute passed. Then two. She had the feeling that Jessica had already read her message and was just making her wait for the fun of it. Then she saw the bubble at the bottom forming. She was watching, live, as Jessica typed her response. Three words, but it was enough to make Emily feel like the floor had given way underneath her.

'_I have Alison.'_

Emily's body betrayed her. That's what sheer panic does; it overtakes everything else. Blood flow was redirected. Pupils dilated. Heart rate increased. Saliva dried up. Emily tried to think about this now, to push it aside so she could function properly. She looked at her hands, they were shaking, the phone had dropped onto the kitchen counter.  
><em><br>Don't be afraid, _she told herself. _You need to stay in control for Ali. _She stared at her hands and forced them to steady. Her eyes veered back onto the phone screen and a new bubble appeared. There was an instruction this time.

'_You have to wait for me.'_  
><em><br>_Emily stumbled backwards to the coffee table and picked up her loaded gun. "We need to get out of here, we need to go to the offices. We need to get help."

She had to make herself breathe. She had to place her hands on the kitchen counter in front of her and stare at them, she willed them to stop shaking. She had to collect herself. After a few minutes, she could feel the panic begin to subside, replaced by complete anger and frustration. Hanna looked terrified.

"Do you think she's coming here, Em?" Hanna asked, her voice strained with fear as she staggered back onto the desk chair that still sat in the middle of the floor. Apparently it wasn't only Emily's legs that wanted to give way. "Oh God, Emily what's your plan? I know I joked but I didn't think she would seriously come here after everything."

"I have no idea Han, I just know I need to get to Alison," Emily said as she hurried towards her bedroom. "But Jessica's not far away, I know that much. I'm getting my hoodie and jeans and then we are leaving here."

Emily rubbed her eyes with her hand before she reached for the hoodie that hung on the back of her bedroom door. Alison had worn it last and it still faintly smelled of the blonde's perfume. She grabbed her jeans from the floor and quickly shimmied them on before zipping them and then she grabbed the closest pair of sneakers she could find.

She had just pulled the hoodie over her head when she heard her apartment door open. She heard the handle being pushed down and then the faint creak as the hinges rotated in sync against each other.

The door was out of her line of vision as she walked down the corridor but she saw Hanna's eyes widen in horror and the blonde squirmed frantically on the seat in an attempt to get out of it. Everything in real time slowed, like watching a movie in slow motion. She lifted her gun and aimed it at the empty space where Jessica would walk when she came into her line of vision.

Hanna swallowed sobs and Emily took another step forward with her gun raised. She could feel the adrenalin careering through her veins. She waited for Jessica to step completely into the apartment where she could fully see her, but she didn't appear.

"Han," Emily spoke calmly. "Han, look at me. What can you see? Tell me what you can see."

The blonde's eyes remained transfixed on the doorway. She didn't know if Hanna couldn't hear her or just couldn't respond because of terror. Emily couldn't stand it anymore, she moved along next to the kitchen counter, her gun still aimed steady in front of her.

She saw Jessica's foot first, a simple white tennis shoe. Then more of her appeared. It was like Broadway curtains being pulled on the main act for the evening. Jessica Jackson, in Emily's apartment. The rush of seeing her made Emily's throat go dry. She couldn't swallow.

She was wearing a white nurse's outfit. Her dark hair was pulled back expertly, Emily didn't think there was a hair out of place. Over the dress she was wearing a dark red cape with cheap looking buttons that clasped around the neck. Jessica adjusted the cape revealing her white dress that was spattered with blood. Emily lifted the gun higher.

"So, here we are," Emily said.

Jessica gave her a dazzling smile and meandered further into view. Emily kept the gun raised at Jessica's head, even as she darted her eyes towards Hanna. Jessica was covered in blood. Splashes of arterial spray accessorised the front of the dress from the bottom to the top. Emily's stomach folded. She'd killed again already and she'd only been out for hours.

"No one ever questions someone in a fancy dress outfit," Jessica said as she waved her hand down her body. "Don't worry, the blood isn't real sweetheart, my need to see you was stronger than my blood lust," she added, her green eyes bright.

Emily lowered the gun slightly; she pointed it down Jessica's neck and then to her chest, where the white dress was dotted red. Now that Emily scrutinized it more, the more she noticed that the blood was a bit too shiny to be real, a little too pale in colour too.

"Happy birthday, Emily."

Jessica twirled and the cape fanned out from her body like a helicopter. "You always said you had a fantasy about this. But tell me the truth," Jessica said as her focus came back onto Emily, "is it a little too slutty?"

It was things like this that made Emily honestly think that Jessica was insane. On a whole different planet from everyone else. "Jessica, your sense of humour is lost on me at times," Emily replied simply.

Jessica reached behind her back and Emily tightened her grip on the gun. When her hands came back around she had a pair of standard handcuffs in her hand.

"Excuse me while I tie up a little loose end." Jessica turned towards Hanna, the blonde leaned back in the chair as far as it would go.

"Shoot her, Emily!" Hanna roared from the chair as Jessica approached her. But Emily couldn't pull the trigger. If she pulled the trigger she would never find Alison. "Shoot her!"

Emily blinked as she heard the harsh snap of the cuff around Hanna's wrists. She heard clinking and then Jessica turned back towards her, her lip bitten between her teeth as if she had just done something daring. She stepped towards Emily and Emily raised the gun, it was braced in both of her hands. A death like grip on it.

Jessica's eyes didn't waver from Emily. She kept walking forward and when she eventually stopped, her forehead was millimeters away from the barrel of the gun. Emily released the safety and moved her finger around to the bend of the trigger. They were both perfectly still.

Jessica tilted her head slightly, her large emerald eyes on Emily. Then she closed the distance and pressed her head against the gun. Emily could feel her pushing, the pressure of the grip in her hand. Her finger was frozen around the trigger. Emily could see the tension in Jessica's face as she pushed. Emily wasn't going to shoot her, they both knew that.

Emily pulled her hand back and let the gun fall to her waist. Jessica lurched forward, slightly surprised at the lack of contact with gun and her hands fell against Emily's chest. They were so close that Emily could feel Jessica's breath on her cheek, she could smell it in the air around them. Spearmint gum. The gun was now the only thing between them.

"It's good to see you out in the open, Emily, it's been far too long," Jessica whispered softly.

"Not long enough," Emily answered.

Jessica's eyes travelled over Emily's face and then she leaned up and weaved her fingers through Emily's dark hair. "You've let your hair grow a little longer than usual. I like it. I forgot to tell you that the other evening you visited me but I reasoned I'd rather tell you in person."

Emily felt Jessica's free hand between them, her fingers brushing against Emily's own as she removed the gun from Emily's hand. Emily wasn't going to shoot her, not now and not today. Ali was too big a priority for that and Emily knew she was still alive somewhere. The other brunette set the gun on the kitchen counter directly behind them.

"Emily," Hanna pleaded, "please shoot her and don't let her walk out of here. Please. You'll find, Ali." Emily could tell that her best friend was crying silently in the chair but she couldn't see her. Jessica had blocked off her view of everything else.

Jessica rolled her eyes dramatically. "I find the sound of people crying very annoying, so just stop it." She swivelled to Emily's side and leaned back against the kitchen counter, looking directly at Hanna. It was the first time Emily had ever seen Hanna shrink under a stare.

"I know megalomaniacal serial killers struggle with simple emotions," Emily began, "so, I'm going to help you out." She pointed towards Hanna. "That is called fear, so just let her go. You don't have a problem with her."

Jessica looked insulted. "I know what it's called, Emily. I just have no time for it," Jessica replied and then she looked at Hanna like the blonde was a particularly unappealing meal.

Hanna's cheeks were wet with tears and red with frustration. The handcuffs rattled against the metal sides of the desk chair. "Fuck you, you psycho bitch! You won't get away with it if you kill me or us for that matter."

Emily smirked. _That a girl. _"She's not going to kill you," Emily spoke calmly as she turned her attention back onto Jessica. "Because if she touches you, I am not going to go with her."

Jessica arched an eyebrow. "I watched your little show and she's quite a performer is Alison. She could give me a run for my money… then again, maybe not."

Emily's stomach knotted in her abdomen but she tried not to show any emotion on her face. "Did you enjoy watching?"

Jessica shrugged. "Not particularly but you already knew that."

"Where is she?"

Jessica took a few deep breaths. "I know how much you like her and how much you want to protect her but I also know you're tempted to reach behind me and blow me away with that gun." Emily shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "So, I'm telling you this. If you do that, no one will ever find her and she will die. Only I know where she is, and maybe you if you connect it properly."

Emily closed her eyes and eased a breath into her lungs, forcing herself to clear her mind and concentrate only on the needs of the moment, and what she needed at the moment was to keep calm for Ali. When she opened her eyes, Jessica was staring at her.

"Do you understand me, Emily?"

Emily nodded. "But if I go with you, I want your word that you will let her go."

Jessica smiled emphatically. "Sweetheart, if I wanted her to die she'd be dead already. Lets go, I want her to see us together. She will understand then how easy it is for me to get under your skin."

Emily stepped away and walked over towards Hanna before she knelt in front of the blonde. She wanted to offer her a source of comfort, to touch her, to rub her arms, anything to make her calm a bit but she didn't want to give Jessica any ammunition. She heard Jessica lift her phone from the counter.

"Em, please don't go with her. You can't trust her," Hanna grumbled through tears.

"Toby will know something is wrong and he will come back, so tell him everything. We're going to an under ground bunker I think, she told me about it once in an interview, it's where she took people, she said no one would ever find it but Toby will get it," Emily whispered, her voice was barely audible. "But tell him Alison is the priority, if they need to shoot through me to get Jessica, tell him I said that's okay." She kissed Hanna on the forehead before she pulled away.

"No, Em. Please no, please," Hanna sobbed. Her cuffs rattled angrily against the metal as she shook her hands.

Emily turned and looked at Jessica. "Lets go then."

_- x -_

Alison sat with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Beyond the circle of light she couldn't see a thing. It felt like being submerged under the ocean in a submarine. She couldn't see how big the room was, she couldn't see the door she had been bundled through and she couldn't see the ceiling above her. She had an awful, all consuming feeling that there was something really bad in the darkness.

It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes to find the small lantern Jessica had left for her. When Jessica had first closed the door behind Alison, she had found herself in absolute darkness. Her hands had fumbled frantically at the door handle. That was when she'd heard the first nail. She knew the sound; a dull thud of the hammerhead hitting metal. It was a daunting realisation really; Jessica was trapping her inside.

When she'd walked blindly into the darkness her foot had hit a spongy object, it had turned out to be a mattress; she was sitting on it right now. She'd felt the low punch of anxiety in her throat and stomach. Just how long did Jessica plan on keeping her here for?

She'd blinked when the lantern flickered into life and her eyes had stung at the brightness of it. She'd held it close to her body, the same way a mother would hold their child. It gave her a sense of comfort. Then the hammering stopped and there had been pure silence ever since.

If she listened closely she thought she could hear the faint sound of water draining through pipes close by but after several minutes she had realised that it was just the blood rushing around her body.

She was underground, she knew that much. She was somewhere that no one apart from Jessica would find her but with that came a glimmer of hope. Because if Jessica knew then the chances were that Emily did too. That's the kind of fucked up thing Jessica would probably share with Emily.

She looked at the light, a white sticker adorned the side of it. It told her the run time was seven days. That's if the batteries in it were new, if they weren't she didn't know how much more light she had. She would have to limit herself to save the light. She put her finger on the button and pressed it.

The darkness swallowed her whole. She thought that it was somehow darker than it had been when she first entered the room. She had to talk herself into believing that her eyes were still actually open. She wondered if that's what death was like.

It was like she had been separated from her body. This is what Jessica did. She horrified and terrorised. It wasn't enough that she was going to kill Alison, she was going to make her terrified first. She reached for the light and fumbled in the darkness for the switch. _Fuck you Jessica, _she thought as the yellow light came back on.

_- x -_

Emily stood next to Jessica in the woods next to a massive developed property. Emily recognised it as the Carter's mansion. They were one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia; Emily doubted they even knew this bunker existed and if they did they certainly didn't know what it had been used for.

Jessica had led her through the thick trees with only a flashlight, Emily had fallen twice and her palm was bleeding but Jessica navigated through the woods as if she knew the area like the back of her hand. The lake lapped at the edges near by.

"Where are you taking me?" Emily asked.

"Somewhere the police don't know," Jessica answered. "Here," she said. "Clear this bit."

Emily looked at the ground she was indicating at with the flashlight. She could see in the light that this bit of ground had been recently disturbed, crisp leaves mixed in with older wilted ones that had clearly been on the ground for weeks. She started sweeping the ground with her feet, piling the leaves to one side, after a few kicks her foot came against something solid. A wooden door revealed itself.

"This is the place the press referred to as my 'torture chamber'. You were special though sweetheart, I couldn't bring you here. You're not afraid of spiders or rats are you?"

Emily strained into the darkness as she tried to adjust to her outdoor surroundings. "Tell me this doesn't go under that lake."

Jessica smiled, Emily could see the whites of her teeth even in the darkness. Then she turned the flashlight on herself and it illuminated her like a ghost. It was one of the most frightening things Emily had ever seen.

"You're not going to drown and die."

The thing was, Emily believed her. She believed her because she'd resigned herself to the fact that when she did die it would probably be at the hands of Jessica Jackson and it would most likely be on her terms. She'd thought it would be with a razor blade in the prison though, not out in the open after Jessica had escaped. That was the kind of things you only seen in movies. _Apparently not._

"I don't want you to die yet anyway, Emily."

Emily nodded her head and puffed out her cheeks. "Well, that's reassuring coming from someone like you."

Jessica leaned over and gripped onto the metal handle that was on the wooden door, pulling it open with a rusty groan. The door fell onto the cold ground with a slam and Emily peered down into the black well that had presented it's self. The flashlight disappeared in the darkness of it.

"You first," Jessica said.

Emily had the brief worry that she was standing next to her open grave, just about to jump into it and then she thought of Ali, shook the worry off and gripped the ladder that led into the pitch black.

When they reached the bottom, Emily wiped the splinters from the wooden ladder on her jeans. Jessica pulled her to the right and they started on a narrow tunnel that was just wide enough for the both of them in no more. "How did you manage to get to Ali so quickly?"

"I've been watching you since I got free. I only offered her a lift when her car unfortunately broke down but I think I may have scared her a little. I seem to have that affect. I was surprised you let her go out on her own, then again you assumed I was only coming for you. Quite clever, Emily."

Emily ducked under a timber support beam that had nearly disintegrated into nothing and tried not to think about the pressure of the lake pressing to get in. They advanced in silence but she remained close to Jessica so she didn't step out of the vision of the light. She wondered if Ali really was here or if this was just a game, it wouldn't surprise her really.

"I have a surprise for you," Jessica said.

"Do you want to take my kidney this time?" Jessica's surprises were never a good thing.

"No. But you will like it. It's a birthday present from me."

Emily sighed, the tunnel was getting lighter on oxygen. "I don't want a surprise and I'm not in the mood to play games.

Jessica stopped and lifted the flashlight to their faces. "You like catching killers. That is my gift to you."

"You're turning yourself in after this?" Emily asked. "Whatever this even is in the first place."

Jessica laughed before she moved again. "No, don't be silly sweetheart. Being free is too much of a luxury to give up again."

They continued in silence again so that all Emily could hear was the scraping of rats and the lull of the lake above them.

"Here," Jessica said finally.

She aimed the light straight ahead where the tunnel ended, there was a thick door impaled in a concrete wall. The first thing Emily noticed when they walked through it was that the floor was solid underneath her, it wasn't dirt and leaves anymore, it was concrete. Jessica pulled her forward where another room branched off.

She flicked the switch on and they were instantly bathed in light. Electrical wires stuck out the ceiling like a hair style gone wrong. Emily looked around the room. Chunks of cement were missing from the walls, pieces of glass glittered on the floor, a wooden table sat like new in the middle of the room.

A laptop was sitting in the middle of it next to a packet of tissues. Emily peered over at the screen, a small list of names were on it. Names she knew, she could even put faces to the names. "How would you like to catch the guy that killed these people?" Jessica asked.

Emily looked at her. There was no smirk or any sign of deceit. "You killed them."

Jessica lifted her eyebrow. "I helped. But I didn't deliver the final blow, think of their love heart on their chests, not as delicate at mine. But the person who did it has outlived his use."

Emily looked at the ceiling. Jessica was good, she had her invested. She knew Emily would need to know more, even if there was a chance that Jessica was lying to her face. But then Emily rolled her shoulders and looked back at the brunette.

"I don't care, I'm here for Alison so tell me where the fuck she is. Jessica. I'm not playing these games anymore. Just tell me where the fuck she is!"

Jessica looked at her, her brows knitting together thoughtfully. The red cape fluttered as Jessica pivoted a little and then Emily felt a blaze of pressure in her stomach. She looked down and saw Jessica's hand curled around a scalpel. The blade was inside her stomach, just below her left rib cage.

"You will accept my gift Emily and get rid of him for me. You better remember why you are here," she said viciously. "I'll kill Alison if you don't do as I tell you."

Emily remained still. Jessica knew exactly where to put the scalpel so it would hurt intensely without actually killing her outright. She moved the blade upwards and Emily inhaled sharply. Pain ripped through every nerve ending in her body.

"Get that out of me," she snapped through gritted teeth.

Jessica smiled sweetly at her and with a simple flick of her wrist the blade slid out of her. Emily brought her hand up to the wound, the dark red stain was already forming on her grey hoodie. She pulled the fabric up so she could look at it. It was small but the blood was oozing from it.

"I want to see her, Jessica. Please."

Jessica lifted a packet of tissues from the wooden table and opened them, handing a bundle to Emily. She noticed blood from the scalpel had transferred onto Jessica's dress. It seeped into the fabric differently from the fake blood. It was more vivid.

"Since you asked nicely sweetheart." Her hands went to the keyboard and she typed effortlessly. A window appeared with a video feed. Emily knew Alison immediately; she was a small fish in a large pond. Her arms were wrapped around her knees. She was somewhere down here with them.

Emily's eyes wandered over the back of Jessica's costume and wondered where she had hidden the blade. If Ali was close then she didn't need Jessica. She could probably find her on her own.

"You won't find her without me so don't even think about it."

Emily forced her eyes back onto the computer screen. Alison looked as if she was sitting on some sort of mattress, her knees were pulled tightly to her chest so she was touching as little of the room as possible. There was a lamp on in front of her. Her face was a blur of light and video static. Emily pressed the tissues harder into her stomach as her pulse throbbed in her throat.

"Oh fuck, you put her in your killing room didn't you?" Emily asked.

Jessica lifted her head from the computer and flashed Emily a sickening smile. Emily looked back at the screen, she needed to get Alison out of there. On the screen, Alison looked up as if she'd sensed Emily was watching and despite the static, her face came into a little focus. Emily smiled as she watched Alison's mouth move in a scream. She didn't need to be a lip reader to know what she was saying.

'_Fuck you Jessica!'_

"Fine, I'll catch the guy you want. But I want to see Ali right now."

_- x -_

Nails were driven through two planks of wood, it sealed Ali's cell. "Were you ever planning to let her out?" Emily asked.

Jessica shrugged. "I didn't have the key to the lock, no one else could find it either."

"No one else?" Emily questioned.

"I have faithful followers Emily. You should know that," Jessica answered breezily as she picked up the rusty hammer that was on the floor and held out her hand for Emily to take it. _A faithful follower you want arrested, _Emily thought.

Emily jammed the claw of the hammer between the door and the plank of wood and pulled against it. The effort made her wince in pain, her wound was throbbing constantly at the exertion. But she stayed with it, until the planks finally came lose and smashed against the concrete floor underneath them.

Jessica held out her hand. "Hammer."

Emily looked down at the metal tool. "I wasn't going to hit you over the head with it until I knew Alison was really behind the door."

Emily pushed the door handle down and the door swung open. Ali was on her feet, near the lamp, in the center of the room. Emily had literally never been so happy to see her in her life. But Ali seemed terrified, the light behind Emily must have darkened her features. Then Emily felt Jessica at the side of her, her hand reaching along the wall. A light in the room came on.

Emily saw Alison take her in. Her defensive stand folded in elation and she cried a heart breaking sound of relief. "Emily," she breathed before she walked a few steps, then she stopped when Jessica appeared behind Emily in the doorway.

"Wha…what is she doing here?"

"Are you okay, Ali?" Emily asked softly.

"No, Emily. I'm not fucking okay."

Emily tried to keep her body calm. "She's not going to hurt you, are you Jessica?"

Jessica sighed heavily after a pause. "Probably not, no."

Alison was trembling. Whether it was from anger or fear Emily didn't really know yet. The blonde looked exhausted, it was hard to believe that just hours ago Ali was giving her the best sex of her life.

She wanted to peel the hoodie off and give it to her but she couldn't let Ali see the blood, she had to keep the blonde calm so she kept her arm over the wound. She also had to keep Jessica on her side if they wanted to get out of their in one piece.

"You look a little dishevelled sweetie," Jessica said brightly to Alison. "But Emily has picked me, see, she's here with me and now she's going to get another case to solve. It's my gift to her."

"There's a list of names on her computer, she didn't kill them but she knows who did." Alison looked back at her skeptically.

"Another psycho? I already know someone like that," Alison replied fiercely as she pointed to Jessica. "Her."

Emily willed Ali to understand what she was doing. They had to go along with this, Emily was doing this for her. To make sure Alison got out of this underground hell hole in one piece. Alison crossed her arms and Emily took another step forward towards her, her stomach burned every time she moved.

Emily looked around the room before her eyes fell back onto Alison, she watched as blue eyes stared at the stain on her hoodie.

"I'm okay, Ali," she said quickly as she finally reached out and put her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Is that… is that real?" Alison asked as she softened under Emily's touch. "I thought it was fake," she glanced at Jessica. "From maybe touching her."

Jessica laughed from the doorway. "Are you jealous sweetie? Emily likes it when she's bleeding for me."

Then the room went dark. It was sudden and complete and it encompassed everything around them. Alison whimpered in fear.

"Jessica?" Emily called, her feet were frozen to the spot, her hand was still on Ali's shoulder as she glanced over her shoulder in the darkness.

There was only silence.

"Get on the floor, Ali," Emily said, she didn't know what was happening but whatever it was she wanted Alison to be as small a target as possible. The hinges of the door groaned. "Jessica?" she called out again.

She stumbled forward in the pitch black, hands outstretched in front of her, there was part of Emily that was waiting for another searing slice of the scalpel but it didn't come. Her hands found concrete and she felt around the doorway and along the wall for the light. When she found it she flicked it on and the light filled the room again as she closed the door over.

Emily glanced at Alison before she made her way back across to the blonde. Her hands roamed over Ali's face, her shoulders, down her arms and settled on her waist. Despite the morbid surroundings, Emily kissed her eagerly, she needed to feel Ali. To feel that she was still whole. The blonde's nails dug into the flesh of her hips.

"I'm sorry Ali," Emily murmured against the blonde's lips as Ali's hands tangled in her hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, she didn't hurt me but we need to get out of here before she comes back before…we need to get your wound treated,"

Emily could hear something at the edge of her hearing field. She listened carefully, craning her head towards the door, the noise was growing louder. It was the sound of footsteps. Jessica was coming back.

"Get behind me," Emily whispered to Alison as she kissed the blonde quickly on the forehead and moved a step forward. Alison had pressed tightly against her, her hands on Emily's waist, as the door handle moved.

* * *

><p><em>I'm getting good at this cliffhanger business. Anyway, this may be the last chapter before 2015 I don't know yet but if it is have an awesome end of year and I will see you in 2015! If you want follow me on Tumblr my url is amusingbutconfusingg I've actually started using it a lot so you'll catch me on there or you can follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93<em>


	24. Bang Bang You're Dead

_Happy New Year guys, hope 2015 is an awesome year for us all! This chapter should be as action packed as the last so fingers crossed you enjoy it. It feels like an action story right now haha. A lot of comments about Jessica/Emily's relationship too and everything I've wrote about them has been deliberate. I love their twistedly sick yet intriguingly complex relationship and I hope you love it too! Anyway, here we go guys!_

* * *

><p>The door creaked open. Three men stood in the now open visible doorway. One was attractive and dressed in a neat but obviously expensive suit. The man next to him towered above everyone else, he had a gun levelled in their direction and Emily didn't think she'd seen anyone that big in the flesh. But the other man stood further back, all Emily could see was short cropped blonde hair. The man in the suit held a flashlight and looked as surprised to see them as they were to see him.<p>

"So," the man in the expensive suit chided, his British accent thick. "What do we have here?"

"Oh thank God," Alison said, brushing her hands down the front of her jeans. "I recognise you, you are Bradley Carter, James Carter's son. I wrote a story about your Dad a few years back about his work with charities. You don't know what we have been through. We need to get out of here, before she comes back."

Emily frowned as she looked at the men in front of her. "How did you know we were down here?"

"You left your car in the open, it showed up on our CCTV and we knew the opening to the tunnel was close by. We monitor them every now and then. These old tunnels lead to my father's house if you know where to go, they aren't used though so the better question is, what are you doing down here? I know who you are, you are Emily Fields."

"We didn't come here by ourselves," Emily retorted as the man at the back finally took a step forward, he looked like a trained Rottweiler.

"I think you have some explaining to do. I'm sure my father will be delighted to know that you are using this place for something you clearly shouldn't be." Bradley Carter sneered as he looked around the darkened room. The faint bloodstains on the wall reflected in the beam from the flashlight.

"If you know who I am then you'd know that I'm a detective and I didn't come here of my own free will." Emily knew of the Carter's but had never dealt directly with them, it wasn't her beat but she knew they were involved in illegal activity. Illegal activity that was never proven. Their business was virtually untouchable.

Emily felt Alison press up against her back, her hands back on the brunette's waist. "Why did I think they would be here to help us? Everything down here is as fucked up as Jessica isn't it?" Alison whispered as Emily's stare hardened at the men in front of her.

_- x -_

Emily knew it sounded insane, but it was only now that she was establishing just how insane everything really sounded.

"Jessica Jackson is in the tunnels under my land?" James Carter scoffed, clearly delighted at the tale Emily had told him.

He was leaning against the front of his desk in one of the rooms in his vastly expensive house, his face animated in obvious amusement. They'd woken him up, his usually immaculate presentation was off balance and what he was wearing looked like it had been hastily thrown together. The window behind him looked out into the darkness and no one had let Emily use a phone yet.

Emily looked at the clock on his desk, it was just after five in the morning. Jessica had probably left the area, and instead of going after her and her birthday gift, Emily was sitting here trying to explain why her and Alison had been found in seemingly unused tunnels. She had dust and dirt and blood on her clothes, the three-inch wound punctured her stomach.

"Yes, she was here," Emily said. "And you are wasting my time."

Nobody moved except for Ali who continued to shift in the chair next to her. The muscle man, who they now knew as Smith, was standing against the wall to their left, his face remained impassive as his gun hung loose in his hand. The other man stood behind them with his arms crossed. His name was Mac and Ali wondered if he ever changed his position. He hadn't so far.

Emily turned around to look at Bradley Carter, grimacing as the wound on her stomach continued to throb. Just how had he managed to find them down there? Something for Emily didn't add up. He was settled on a sofa at the other end of the office, a copy of yesterday's newspaper in his hands. He looked unaware that Emily had even spoken.

Emily winced as she turned back to face the older Carter, the phone on James' desk was almost within touching distance. She could make a grab for it, start dialling Toby's number, but there was no way she'd be able to get the call through before Smith stopped her.

She had to get James to understand, he was a businessman, and he knew how to make important decisions. She just had to make their argument sound plausible.

"I need to call my team, they are looking for Jessica and us two as well." She motioned towards Ali, the blonde's hand was under her own. "Jessica is crazy and if we don't go after her now she will get away completely."

James looked at her for a few seconds, Emily could hear the clock ticking and the sound of newspaper pages being turned behind her. The older mans eyes were beady but bright and he still wore the amused expression on his face like a mask.

"She really messed you up didn't she? There were rumours. I've heard them myself."

Emily sighed as she felt Ali squeeze her fingers. James didn't care about the rumours, he just wanted to see what Emily was like, if she'd confirm anything for him. She knew he was enjoying the sensation that Jessica may actually be in the tunnels under his house, she could see him conjuring the media headlines in his head. All the press he'd receive afterwards and all the business.

"Jessica kidnapped Alison," Emily said. "She used her to get me to go with her and she was in the room we were found in just minutes before your henchmen interrupted." She stood and pointed to the bloodstain on her hoodie. "She stabbed me with a scalpel. I need to call my partner before it's too late."

"A scalpel?" James said, his face lit with hilarity.

Emily shook her head, it sounded barbaric. "And she's wearing a nurses costume which is spattered with blood, some of it's real some of it's not, it's all part of her break out disguise."

James blinked in Emily's direction. Then a smile broke across his face. "You have finally gone mad haven't you? Like I said, I heard the rumours but I hadn't believed them until now."

"She's telling you the truth," Ali growled defensively. "Jessica brought us both here, you need to let Emily call for help or she will arrest you and she needs a doctor!"

Mac gave Ali a push on the shoulder. "You don't get to talk to James like that."

Alison moved her hand around to her shoulder and rubbed gently at where he had pushed her, her face was beet red. "Don't fucking touch me," she spat as Mac's bulldog façade wobbled ever so slightly.

Emily reached over and set a comforting hand on Ali's. She could see the redness on Mac's cheeks burn as his blood vessels bulged with temper, his eyes were on James', clearly waiting for the signal that it was okay to teach Alison a lesson in manners.

Emily's whole body strained, her muscles were coiled and taut but eager, ready to throw herself at Mac if he touched Ali again. For a second, her scalpel wound didn't hurt at all. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Smith move away from the wall to assess the situation.

The smile on James' face finally disappeared as he looked over at Mac. "That's enough," he commanded sharply.

Alison inhaled and crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "I got taken hostage by my girlfriends obsessive personal psycho. I have dirt and grime and blood all over my clothes and you are being a complete self indulgent asshole. I swear," she added, with a look over her shoulder at Smith, "if someone else points a gun at me again today I am going to lose it and you will really see crazy."

Emily couldn't help but smile. Ali really was something else. James raised his eyebrow at Emily and Emily shrugged back at him before he turned his attention back onto Ali. "A self indulgent asshole?" he asked.

"We didn't see anyone else down there, Sir," Smith said.

"She must have heard you three coming and taken off," Emily offered as an explanation.

Smith frowned before he looked back at James. "There are tunnels everywhere down there, some of them haven't been used in forty years. It is possible."

Smith had opened a door behind him to let some air in from the other room, a bar stood elegantly in the distance. James rubbed his face as he thought things through.

"She's a cop, she's here to look in at us, not catch Jessica Jackson in the tunnels under our ground!" Bradley bellowed from the sofa, the newspaper he was reading was folded in his lap.

Everyone flinched apart from Emily. She was beginning to lose her patience. "I don't have my gun, I don't have my badge and I'm here with a civilian without any backup. Plus according to you," she turned towards Bradley, "you don't use the tunnels anyway so why the hell would I want to look in them?"

James turned towards Smith who was back leaning against the open door, for a second Emily thought James would give Smith the signal to shoot the both of them and be done with it all.

"If I was here as a cop," Emily said, sensing her opportunity, "I'd be asking why there was blood stains all over that room we were found in and if you really didn't use it, how did Jessica manage to use it unaided for three years?"

Judging by the confused expression on James Carter's face, he didn't have a clue about anything Emily had just said. For the first time since she'd stepped foot in his office she had his full attention. "What bloodstains?"

"There was some stains on the floor and wall," Bradley said simply. "It could have been blood but we don't know that."

Emily scoffed loudly. "It was used for three years by Jessica and her accomplices, trust me it's blood."

James was boring a hole in the floor, clearly lost in deep thought about the new revelation. Emily didn't want to confuse the situation any further so she looked over at Alison who was staring back at her with blue eyes that were starting to show the lack of sleep. She gave Emily a little smile and linked their fingers together properly.

"Every second we sit here, we are wasting time," Alison muttered to James. "Jessica will escape fully and more people will be at risk."

James lifted his eyes to Emily's. There was something different in his face, something new and hungry. "She was really down there?"

Emily resisted the urge to scream - _yes that's what we have been saying all this fucking time - _and instead simply replied with, "she was really down there."

James seemed to contemplate the information. His nostrils flared in excitement, he started nodding to himself, getting himself psyched up while his face looked red hot. Emily had a horrible feeling that she knew what was coming. He smiled at her as if they shared some sort of secret. He wanted the glory of catching her.

"Don't do it, she's extremely dangerous. Everyone knows that. Let me call for help, my team is the best chance we have of getting her."

But the older man was already on his feet and moving around his desk. He reached his drawer open and Ali's eyes widened as he pulled out a gun, it was bigger than the one she'd handled at Emily's, the thought of it made her sick.

"You couldn't catch her for three years," James said. "I'm going to do what someone should have done a long time ago. No one knows my property like me. She can't hide."

This was going seriously wrong. Emily looked over at Ali, her blue eyes were wide, the blonde's fingers had tightened around her own. Emily looked for something to say to James, something to dilute the situation but she couldn't work out what.

"She's armed, she will kill you and think nothing of it but you will get arrested. Let me call my team!" Emily shouted, the pain in her stomach radiated through her body. It was enough to knock the breath out of her chest.

"Don't worry, I'll take my chances," James added as the gun bulged in his hand.

There was nothing Emily could say. She didn't have time to explain everything, didn't have time to explain what she had to do for her birthday gift and she didn't have time to argue that she was more worried about James' chances than she was about Jessica's. In a one on one situation she'd pick Jessica every single time.

"She will kill you James, I'm warning you," Emily said sullenly from her chair. "I'll say it once more, let me call my team."

"That's why I hire help," James said glaringly. "Mac, you're with me. Lets go."

Mac responded with a curt nod and headed for the door, unholstering his gun from his hip as he walked.

"Don't let them call anyone," James said as he looked at Ali, but she refused to meet his stare. He clearly didn't like being ignored and Emily knew that's exactly why Alison was doing it. "And if they do try and call their team, you know what to do," he nodded at Smith before he left the office.

_- x -_

"You win again," Bradley said as he scooped the playing cards into his hands for the third time. "When did you learn to play?" he asked Ali.

"I don't want to talk to you, I just want to pass the time to get out of this hovel," Alison answered quickly. "So stop glaring at me and play."

Bradley adjusted his tie as Emily walked over to where they were playing and sat down on the sofa next to Alison, her hand supporting the blonde's back. She felt Ali relax slightly under her touch. Smith joined them on the seat next to Bradley.

A distant thud echoed through the room, Emily jumped and walked towards the door. The pain in her stomach burned. Smith wasn't far behind her. Bradley was the only one who didn't jump. He raised his eyebrows at them.

"Nervous are we?" Bradley asked smugly.

Emily listened but she didn't hear the noise again. Alison looked around warily before she sat another card down in the middle of the table, Bradley lifted it and added it to the hand of cards he was holding.

"Surely you don't believe this nonsense about Jessica Jackson?" Bradley asked Smith as he glanced down at his cards. Smith was still fixated on the door. "It's bullshit, brilliant but total rubbish."

Alison laid another card down before she glared across the couch. "I wish you would shut up right now."

Bradley's expression didn't change, he brushed something off the pants of his suit. "My father is not going to find Jessica in the tunnels, trust me on that one."

Emily turned from where she was standing. "I don't think she's there anymore either."

Smith's enormous shoulders rolled before he sat down again. "You think she's made a run for it?"

"I didn't say that," Emily replied softly. Emily had the unnerving feeling that Jessica wasn't too far away from the room they were all currently residing in.

"What is she talking about? She's trying to fuck with us Smith. Where do you think she is then?" Bradley asked. Alison was still concentrating on her cards but a small crease had appeared in her forehead, clearly interested in what Emily was going to say.

"She has this crazy idea that I am going to catch one of her accomplices in the tunnels down there, and then run off into the sunset with her," Emily confessed as she kept her eyes focused on Bradley. Something about him set her teeth on edge and the quicker she got Ali out of here the better.

Emily saw Smith's eyes move to the door a second before Smith sprang to his feet, he leapt up so quickly that Emily, startled, had nearly gone stumbling backwards. Smith's body was rigid; his gun was aimed back at the door. Rock steady in his hands.

It was the first time she'd noticed the way he held his gun; the same way she would. The same way every cop in Rosewood would. The door stayed shut and no one moved. The only sound was the clock ticking.

"Um," Ali said but Emily lifted her hand and silenced her. Then Smith started walking towards the door. Emily wasn't sure what Smith's job actually was, but she suspected that he was as cool as a cucumber under pressure. Whatever Smith had heard, they all had to take it seriously.

As Emily neared the door, she could hear it too, a muffled wheezing coming from the other side. Sweat trickled down her back – a mix of anticipation and the now pulsing wound she already had in her stomach. She automatically reached for her gun but her hand only found air.

Emily leaned out and pushed down on the door handle much to Smith's dismay. She could immediately feel the weight of a person behind the door and she had to use her shoulder to support it so she could open it slowly.

Smith stepped to Emily's left and helped open the door with his giant foot as he aimed his gun at the door opening. Emily peaked her head around to see what and who was behind the door.

Mac was against the door, his chin bobbing against his chest. Smith shifted his foot and Emily felt the whole weight of the mans body again as the door opened fully, but she managed to grab him under his arms and drag him into the room with her. As soon as Emily had him over the door and into the room, Smith slammed it shut again.

"See anything?" Emily asked Smith. Mac was unresponsive, his breathing shallow, his shirt crimson with blood, the same way hers would have been if Jessica had really wanted to hurt her. Alison hovered at her shoulder but she couldn't see Bradley.

"Christ, that's a lot of blood," Smith commented. "Do you think it was her?"

Emily's mouth went dry. Jessica was back in full swing and there was no denying it. She swallowed hard, her throat scratchy. "Yes. It's her alright," she answered.

Smith was silent but his eyes roamed freely across the room until he lifted his chin and gazed out of the window in the office. He was listening, Emily realised. But all Emily could hear was Mac's strained breathing.

"It's sirens," Smith concluded.

Emily heard them then. The recognisable scream of the vehicles was so distant that it was almost inaudible but it was there all the same. Help was coming. Toby had figured it out. Emily wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her hoodie.

"What can I do to help?" Alison asked as she stood back up and walked towards the desk to look for something to stem the blood flow on Mac's stomach.

"I didn't call the police," Bradley said darkly. "So who did?"

Emily glanced at him. He was still standing over by the couch. Bradley's eyes were ice cold. "You set this whole thing up didn't you? Jessica told you about me didn't she? You're here to arrest me."

Emily's eyes snapped around to Ali just as the blonde turned back from the desk. _Bradley. Bradley fucking Carter. _Emily saw what Bradley was going to do a second before he did it. His stare shifted to Alison and Emily saw his lip curl into a snarl, and then she saw what Jessica had seen in him. The menace swirled in his eyes, the same way it did in hers.

Bradley moved for Alison. She was too busy looking at Emily that she didn't see Bradley coming for her. Emily pushed herself up from her position next to Mac but Bradley was too quick. He grabbed Alison from behind and drew a dirty stanley knife out of his back pocket and to her neck.

Emily and Smith were both on their feet now. Smith's gun was aimed at Bradley. Smith shared a brief glance with Emily, just long enough to give Emily a small nod.

And just like that, they were on the same team because Smith was one of them. He was a cop just like she was. Although he made a better undercover one that she ever would. He was the one who had called for help.

Alison's eyes looked white, the blue irises strained to see the blade at her neck. For the second time in the space of a few hours Emily didn't know if she was shaking from fear of anger. "You have got to be fucking kidding me Emily Fields!" she seethed through gritted teeth.

The sirens were louder now but Emily couldn't tell how far away they were. Bradley's eyes veered to the window, he was clearly trying to figure out the same thing. Then he made a silent decision and dragged Alison sideways towards the door.

Bradley jerked the knife and Alison cried out as a crescent of blood spilled down onto her shirt and then dripped onto the floor. Emily heard her own voice cry out as the blonde was hurt; a restrained ache of pain that may well have been all in her own head.

Alison was crying, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Blood flowed freely from behind her ear. It killed Emily to witness the panic and not be able to do something. She was looking at Emily with pleading puppy dog eyes and there was nothing Emily could do. If she went for Bradley, he would cut Alison. The sirens seemed like they were getting closer.

Bradley was right at the edge, like a flame near a gas line, feeding off Ali's fear and about to erupt. "I can't let you leave this room with her Bradley," Emily said calmly.

"Emily!" Smith barked.

Emily swung her head around. Mac had somehow managed to shift himself up onto his elbows, the blood still oozed from his stomach. Emily could see the ankle holster that he'd drawn the gun from. His face was ashen, blood coated the immediate area around him, but his eyes were fixed on Emily and the gun seemed steady in his hand.

"Shoot her," Bradley commanded.

Mac fired. The blast was deafening. Emily moved and then caught herself, her ears ringing in the aftermath. Immediately, another blast cut through the silence and when Emily looked up Mac was splayed across the floor, a bullet from Smith's gun in his neck. The smell of the gun power was heavy in the air around them.

Emily swivelled to check on Alison. Bradley had used the gun exchange to move past Emily, closer to the door, closer to his exit. The blonde's arms were limp at her sides as she stumbled backwards; the knife was still pressed against her skin. She was still crying, her blue eyes fixed on Emily, terrified.

Then Emily knew.

The bullet had gone in just under her left rib cage, almost in the very spot that Jessica had driven the scalpel in. It didn't hurt. She looked at the bullet hole in her hoodie, then pulled it up slightly and looked at her t-shirt. The blood blossomed like a poppy, unfurling it's crimson petals across her t-shirt. She could feel the warmth of the blood surge against her skin. Her knees shook as the sirens screamed louder.

Emily placed her hand over the new wound and moved forward as Bradley pulled Alison out into the corridor and shut the door. If he got Ali back into the tunnel system Emily wouldn't know where to start with finding her.

"Emily," Smith called sharply.

Emily didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Bradley had Alison and she _loved_ Alison. She reached the door and threw it open, barely aware of Smith's huge presence behind her.

"If I can't stop you then at least take this," Smith said as he pushed his gun into Emily's hand. The sirens were louder now. It sounded like a hundred cars were outside. "I will get us help since I'm not armed and in this situation being unarmed won't do me any good," Smith added as he smashed the window in the office with his elbow.

Emily raised Smith's weapon and turned down the corridor. She could see Bradley and Alison in front of her. Alison was dragging her feet, making herself a dead weight, and it had helped Emily make some ground on them. Blood streaked the walls where Mac had obviously bounced against them.

When she looked up again Bradley and Alison were gone. Emily stumbled on, Smith's gun clutched tightly in her right hand as her left hand attempted to put pressure on the wound on her stomach. The sound of Alison crying echoed in her head. She could feel the bullet in her stomach now, it burned brightly every time she inhaled.

She could see them up ahead again as she turned down another corridor and Alison's ear looked scarlet with blood. She was looking right at Emily, her face contorted in desperation. They were heading for the elevator. She raised the gun at Bradley, not looking down, feeling her way with her feet, not caring about anything other than Alison.

The elevator doors slid open and James Carter staggered out, his hands clutched at his neck. He fell forward onto his knees.

"James?" Emily whispered. "What the hell."

The sirens had reached fever pitch, they weren't getting louder anymore because they were most definitely here. Bradley looked around and then twisted Ali towards him, the blonde wailed as he twisted her arm and Emily could see from the shape that her shoulder was probably dislocated. Bradley shoved Ali into the waiting elevator as Emily ran for the steel doors. She dived for it but couldn't get her hand between the metal doors in time.

"Whe… where does this go?" Emily mumbled as she reached up and punched the elevator button.

"The new tunnel system," James said. "That's why I never knew the old ones were getting used. Th… the elevator opens up into a large storage space, there's a hall off it, at the end of the hall there's a door that leads to the tunnel under the lake and it comes up in a basement at our other property at the other side of the lake. What is going on with Bradley?"

The elevator doors slid open, Emily crawled in and managed to pull herself up onto her feet. She couldn't explain to James Carter, she hoped someone would get to him in time. The descent of the elevator made her head spin and the sensation of it made her stomach lurch in on itself as she turned her head and vomited.

_- x -_

The elevator bobbed as it came to a stop. Emily took a breath and stepped out into the open. It was nothing like the tunnel Jessica had taken her through. It looked like a warehouse for a large grocery store. The room seemed to expand in every direction. She listened for footsteps but couldn't hear anything, her senses were beginning to slip. The periphery of her vision was a blur.

She looked at the floor, willing her body to kick into action for a little while longer, to give her just enough to move forward to get to Ali. _Just move, just move towards Ali. Move forward. Find her. _

Her eyes were still on the floor when the tip of a white tennis shoe came into her small field of vision. She followed the shoe up a bare leg, the edge of the dress dripped with blood and this time it was real, Emily's eyes continued further until she found a face full of compassion. The cape was missing now though.

"You don't look very well sweetheart," Jessica purred.

Emily struggled to find her voice to speak. She couldn't let Jessica distract her, she didn't care if Jessica went back to jail and she didn't care if Jessica made a fool of her again. She just wanted to get Ali back. "Where did they go?"

Jessica's eyes were glowing. "I told you I had a great gift for you," she said. "It really has been fun hasn't it? Although I didn't expect you to work it all out so soon, our fun has been cut rather short."

Emily scowled at her. Bradley may be the one with the knife to Ali's throat but Jessica had practically put it there. "I swear… I swear if he kills her," Emily murmured, "I'll make you pay, I'll kill you myself if I have to."

Jessica fluttered her long lashes, a faked look of hurt crossed her face. "Well, that was a little nasty, Emily."

"Tell me where the fuck she is, where did they go?" Emily gasped. It burned her insides to talk. Each word took so much exertion that she had to take brief pauses between them.

Jessica tilted her head, scrutinizing her, her green eyes landing on the blood that had soaked through everything. "You shouldn't be bleeding like that from the scalpel," she objected and Emily thought she heard a hint of distress behind Jessica's voice.

"Gun shot," Emily answered as she coughed.

Jessica's stance stiffened and Emily heard the breath catch in her throat. She reached down for the edge of the hoodie, but Emily pulled away. "No, don't," she argued weakly. "Tell me." She'd lost too much blood, she was getting weak too fast. "Please, Jessica."

Jessica lifted her hand and pointed to the door straight across the room from them. It was one hundred feet away, in Emily's state it may as well have been the English fucking Channel. She glanced back towards the elevator.

"I've already disabled it," Jessica said. "I knew you'd end up here when I seen Alison, I cut some wires so it looks like we're together for a little while longer sweetheart."

Emily was probably out of time. Alison was probably out of time. But she had to try. Emily pushed herself forward and walked towards the door that Jessica had pointed too, she couldn't stand properly, every step she took had her bent over, the pain overwhelmed everything else.

She hadn't made it six steps when Jessica was at her side. "Do you need my help?" she asked, her hand in the crook of Emily's elbow.

The fabric stuck to her body with blood. Her left hand was covered in blood up to her elbow where she had tried to apply pressure. She could feel her body failing her, it was an all too familiar feeling. The last time she'd felt it was because of the woman holding her up.

"I'll help you, Emily," Jessica said.

"No, not you."

The door wasn't anymore than twenty feet away now. She was nearly there. She had to hear Ali. With everything she could muster, she swallowed hard, pressed her wound with her hand, lifted her head up towards the door and screamed Alison's name.

Her desperate voice vibrated off every wall, echoing clearly through the large room. Jessica looked towards it too. There was silence before Emily heard anything else.

"I'm here, Em!" Alison shouted back.

* * *

><p><em>No cliffhanger this time! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, the last couple have been pretty action packed if a little angsty and it's not quite over just yet. If you want follow me on Twitter at Kirstenr93 or Tumblr (I've started using that quite a lot) my url is amusingbutconfusingg <em>


	25. Kill Of The Night

_Hey guys new chapter! This chapter is pretty dark and I feel bad after the ep last night but there's nothing I could do haha. The first half is very Jessica/Emily orientated. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Ali's voice was cut off suddenly, coercively silenced. But it was enough for Emily. Even with the noise reverberating against the expansive walls of the spacious basement, Emily was pretty certain that Ali's voice was coming from somewhere straight up ahead. It was all the motivation she needed to move forward again.<p>

Adrenaline flooded into her body, her fists balled and she heaved herself upwards, hobbling and grimacing towards the hallway's rectangle of light. Her breaths came heavy now and she was still hunched over a little as she moved, her hand pressed tightly onto the offensive wound. One footstep and then another and then a sharp blur of pain.

Then she was there. She had made it to the start of the corridor. She leaned up against the wall next to a door and gripped Smith's gun. Her shooting arm wobbled as she pointed her weapon into the air. The fluorescent overhead lights burned her eyes. There were two doors further in front of her, one half way down the hall on the right hand side and a steel door stood that solitary at the end of the corridor.

"That one leads to the tunnel to get out of here," Jessica said from a little behind her.

Jessica stepped in line with Emily and lifted her hand to point towards the steel door. Emily didn't know where she had appeared from, whether Jessica had caught up with her again or if she had been there the whole time. She smiled down at Emily.

"But, luckily, Brad left me the key for it. He doesn't know I have it though, sweetheart."

Emily's mind fogged over with pain. She struggled to understand what was happening and she leaned her hand out to support herself on the wall. If Bradley had taken Ali out of the steel door she wouldn't be able to reach them. Jessica placed her arm around Emily's bicep and then Emily realised - Jessica had the key. She'd locked them all in so Emily could catch him for her.

Jessica closed the short distance between them, even with her mind foggy Emily could feel the other brunette's lips close to her ear. "First door on the right, that's where he has Alison," she directed Emily with her hand to look at the doors down the hall in the same way she was. "Do you see it?"

Emily looked down the hall at the first door on the right. Her vision was blurry but when she really tried and concentrated the door came into sharpened focus. She noticed that it was slightly ajar, it had obviously bounced away from the door frame and not been closed properly. She could do this. She could save Alison. Quite simply; she had to.

Emily lifted her arm again. The gun felt like a dead weight in her hand and she couldn't lift it fully, it had become too heavy, too awkward in her hand but she could get it up enough. She took a step and then another. The blurring at the corner of her vision whirled in and out. She screwed her eyes shut and rubbed her face with her bloody hand. But she kept moving.

Her legs felt like they were about to give up underneath her, the hallway seemed to slant and stretch around her. She had to support herself against the wall again. She looked at the door, it was still another ten steps or so away. The pain felt like a blunt razor blade slicing through her. Sharp and brutal assaulting every single nerve ending as she moved forward.

The floor lurched abruptly and Emily sank to her knees on the floor. She was cold but sweating, her heart pounded frantically against her rib cage. She was losing too much blood. She wasn't going to be able to save Alison.

_Get fucking up Emily_, she chanted to herself in her head. She looked at the door, it was only a few steps away now and from the inside she could hear shuffles of movement.

She'd found them, she'd done it. _Get up, get up, get up, _she repeated again in her head. She made a deal with herself that she would do anything for Alison and in order to do that she had to get up. Get up off the concrete floor and move.

Jessica's face appeared next to her own. The other brunette's skin glowed in the overhead lights. A golden glow circled Jessica's head like a halo. Her expression was poised. This was proof that Emily was losing too much blood and starting to lose consciousness.

_Jessica with a halo? You are fucking losing it Emily. _

"Do you want my help sweetheart?" Jessica asked warmly as she placed a palm on Emily's cheek. "I'll help you save her if you really want me to."

Emily pulled her face away from Jessica's hand and squeezed her eyes shut again in an attempt to make things less hazy. She tried, again, to stand but her legs felt like they were made of marshmallow - soft and hollow like she was sleepwalking in a dream.

She sank back onto the floor. She couldn't do it but she had to, she had to get to Alison no matter the consequences, no matter whose help she had to use.

"I want your help," Emily said, her voice barely audible in the large room.

"What did you say?" Jessica questioned eagerly.

"I need your help," Emily mumbled. "Yes… I want your help, Jessica."

Emily leaned up and her hand scrambled to get a decent grip of the wall. She managed to get enough of a grip to pull herself up a little, her right leg extended while she kneeled on her other knee. Her sneakers were literally blood red. Tiny blobs of blood dotted the floor around her. She blinked and the blobs swam back and forth in front her eyes.

Jessica was kneeling next to her, her white tennis shoes were covered in blood now too. She moved the weight of Emily's arm over her shoulder and Emily succumbed, letting Jessica support her weight as much as she wanted to.

Jessica held Emily's hand against her breast. Emily could see the gun in her hand, the barrel of it was pressed against Jessica's dress, but she couldn't feel her fingers around the body of it. Her hands were numb, tiny pins and needles pricking her skin like a pincushion. Jessica moved her other hand around Emily's waist before she lowered it into Emily's back pocket.

"This is going to be painful," Jessica whispered into Emily's ear. "I'm warning you."

Emily inhaled sharply as Jessica hoisted them up to their feet. The pain from her stomach felt like a belt was lashing across her skin. It almost made her vomit. Even the tears in her eyes stung. Her vision blurred but when it returned to focus she was standing upright.

They were standing. Their bodies pressed closely together, Jessica's face was flushed from helping Emily to her feet. Her expression was one of composure and gentleness like she really was a devoted nurse and Emily was her poor patient.

Emily's arm was still thrown over her shoulder, her gun hand still rested across the other brunette's breast. Emily cleared her throat and breathed in as much air as she could.

She could see the door that Alison was behind, it was oh so close. She could feel her pulse throb where Jessica held her wrist but she wasn't sure if it was her heartbeat or Jessica's. However, it was the beat that kept her moving, she could feel it now in her body as she stood for a few seconds, the familiar rhythmic thud was coming from her.

They were close to the door now and then Jessica let go of her wrist, and then the rhythm of her pulse stopped. Jessica rested Emily against the wall and Emily knew the concrete was supposed to be solid behind her but she felt like she could disappear into it. Jessica touched her cheek and her face took up all the space in Emily's vision field.

She could still hear the commotion of noise in the room but, inside her head, it was silent. It was like she had become separate from her conscious. She wasn't going to make it through the door. She wasn't going to save Ali. She was probably going to die at Jessica's feet.

Emily smiled at the irony of it as everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>Emily turns onto her side and allows herself to look down at Jessica. She never let herself imagine she would be with someone who looked like Jessica Jackson. Every part of her is perfect. She traces her finger a long the dip of the brunette's waist and for the first time in a long time Emily is relatively happy.<em>

_"What are you thinking about? Has a new case appeared?" Jessica asks softly as she turns on her side so they are face to face._

_Emily shakes her head softly. "Surprisingly no, which must be the first time in around three years."_

_Jessica looks at her before her eyes dip for a second to Emily's bare chest. "I think one will soon, this person doesn't seem to take much time to cool off."_

_Emily knows it's true so she leans over and kisses Jessica, rolling the other brunette onto her back and all Emily is aware of is the soft bare skin against her own. The ring of her phone breaks their moment_.

_She throws her arm out and feels blindly for the phone on Jessica's bed side table, then she grasps it and sees Toby's name. Deflated, she rolls back onto her back and presses the phone to her ear, listening as Toby describes the new victim that was found only minutes ago._

_"A new victim?" Jessica asks as Emily swings her legs out the bed so her feet are against the wooden floor and her back is towards the other brunette. It's almost like Jessica has a sixth sense for these things, like she knows exactly when it's going to happen and it's beginning to unsettle Emily._

_"Emily?" Jessica asks gently._

_You're being ridiculous Emily, she says to herself in her head. Jessica is a Forensic Psychologist, she just knows how this kind of psychopath works, she knows there won't be much time between victims. She just knows these things._

_"Emily?" Jessica asks again._

* * *

><p>"Emily?" Jessica's voice was a throaty buzz.<p>

Emily blinked and her head lifted up, then things came back into focus. Jessica's green eyes met her gaze and then Jessica's eyes moved to her face, a small crease forming between her eyebrows. She'd passed out, Emily realised, and now Jessica was checking her over.

Jessica moved a finger over to Emily's pulse, medically examining her to check how much time she had left. Not long, Emily figured. Jessica took Emily's hand in her own, the gun was some how still in Emily's hand. Jessica removed Emily's fingers from around the weapon.

Emily left her do it, she couldn't have resisted it even if she wanted to. It was all so slow, everything around her felt foreign and her fingers were sticky with her blood. When Jessica had finally prised the gun away, she checked the magazine and then held it up in front of Emily's face.

"You only have two bullets, Emily," Jessica stated as she swung the gun back and forth between them. "Do you understand me?" she asked.

She waited for Emily to nod and then she placed the gun back into Emily's hand. This time when Emily's fingers moulded around it she could feel the weight of it again. The metal was like electricity in her hand.

"Do you want to save Alison?" Jessica whispered as she smiled sincerely.

Emily did want to save her. She wanted Ali to stay alive, right now it was the most important thing in the world to her.

Jessica took a step back. "Then save her, Emily."

Something crashed behind the door, Emily felt the smash of it against the wall. Then she heard Alison yelp in blatant pain.

"Wait," Emily murmured to Jessica.

Her vision was back to being blurry again. Jessica raised an eyebrow as Emily staggered slightly, she needed something to flip the internal switch and she needed to stop feeling weak. There wasn't anyone else. Bradley would kill Alison by the time the police found a way down here, Ali was counting on her.

"Hurt me," Emily said. "I know you enjoy hurting me."

Jessica's mouth curved into a smile. Then she raised her right hand and drew it forcefully across Emily's face. Emily felt the sting of pain, the impact had turned her face against the wall as her eyes welled up. But then the adrenaline burst through the fog in her mind like a razor blade.

She took a few deep breaths and immediately felt lighter, as if the slap had given her more access to oxygen. She was seeing things better, everything was clearer. She could hear better now too.

She turned her head towards Jessica, the brunette's nostrils flared in expectancy; she enjoyed inflicting pain onto Emily. Her eyes blinked slowly like she was waiting on Emily to hit her back and Emily's right hand twitched to do it.

No one could or would blame her if she did but she let that idea rage inside her for a few seconds, drawing strength from it, using it as energy to get to the one person that really mattered in her life; Alison.

Then she pushed herself off the wall with every bit of energy she had, raised the gun in front of her and pushed against the slightly opened door.

_- x -_

Alison's shoulder ached with pain. Her wrist stung because of Bradley's incessant grip on it, every time he moved her arm she had to swallow down a sob of pain. The knife was still pressed tight against her neck.

She'd assumed that he'd let go at one point and she'd have a chance to make a break for it but he'd never let it go. He was like an octopus, his hands were everywhere and nowhere, the knife just looked like an extension of his hand. He pulled a drawer out the desk in the room sending its contents everywhere.

Alison recoiled and Bradley twisted her arm again to bring her closer. The pain made her knees shake and tears pooled in her eyes. He pulled her closer and brought the knife back up to her neck, the blood next to her ear had stopped flowing but she could still smell it. Metallic and coppery.

"Are you scared?" Bradley asked, his thick British accent making the question sound almost elegant.

Alison knew better than to answer. Instead she looked at the gun in the waistband of Bradley's suit pants. It was only inches away from her hand, but she couldn't risk it. If she attempted to grab it he would kill her before she even got a shot off, that's if she could. The only gun she'd ever held was Emily's.

"She's not scared… because you are not scary Bradley," a voice called from the door.

Ali looked over, not daring to trust her ears, having to see it with her own eyes to believe it. Emily stood in the doorway like a wreck. A gun in her hand pointed at Bradley but she was covered in blood from her stomach to her knees and she was leaning against the door frame as if it was holding her upright.

Bradley reacted automatically, moving Alison in front of him and dropping the blade to the center of her throat, twisting the blonde's shoulder as he done it. Alison had to take a few deep breaths to herself.

"Ali, are you okay?" Emily asked her.

"My shoulder Em, I think it's dislocated. But I'm okay," she answered. Emily had lost a lot of blood but she had come for her, Alison resisted the urge to smile. Emily had come to save her – again. "How about you?"

"Okay," Emily replied with a small smile as she looked downwards for a second. "Why'd you ask?"

"Cut the bullshit," Bradley barked.

"Oh yeah, of course," Emily said, her eyes darting from Ali to Bradley. The moment Emily looked at Bradley, Alison saw all he warmth leave her face. "You're under arrest," Emily told Bradley as she leaned her shoulder back against the door.

Emily's gun started to drift downwards like it was too heavy for her hand before it jerked back up in Ali's general direction. This wasn't good. Ali could see in Emily's eyes that this wasn't good. She tried to look behind Emily, hoping that Toby would appear, or Callahan or anyone really. But there was no one. Emily was by herself.

"Have you ever been shot before?" Bradley asked.

Alison watched Emily. The brunette's hand was now curled around the doorway supporting her whole weight. Emily blinked slowly in their direction before she spoke.

"No. This is a first for me."

Bradley smiled. "You've lost a lot of blood, you're in shock and you really think you can shoot me from there? Your golden hour is just about up my friend."

Ali swallowed a sob. "Emily," she croaked, she tried to smile through her tears, tried to tell Emily silently that it was okay, that Emily could go and leave her. "Go," her voice cracked further as she said it. "Get yourself help babe."

Emily looked at her, before she smiled sadly in Ali's direction, it was like she knew something Alison didn't. Then Emily's eyes fell back onto Bradley. He'd tightened his grasp on Ali's wrist, yanking painfully at her already dislocated shoulder.

"I have something you want, Bradley," Emily said. She took her hand off the door and put her hand into her back pocket. She slouched slightly on her feet. Ali willed her to stay standing because if she fell, Alison had the feeling she wasn't going to be able to get back up.

Emily shoved her hand out and opened her bloody palm. A large key sat in the middle of it. Alison felt Bradley tense before he leaned forward to inspect what Emily had produced.

"The key to the tunnel exit," Emily said. "That's why you've been pulling this place apart isn't it? Well Jessica had it, took it from right under your nose." Emily swung the key out like someone teasing a dog with a bone.

"Give me the key," Bradley hissed through gritted teeth.

Emily looked at Ali before she opened her palm and let the key fall to the floor in a harsh clatter. It landed near her blood soaked sneakers, her eyes turned to Bradley as she looked upwards. "Sorry about that."

Bradley let go of Ali's wrist and pulled the gun from his waistband. The gun snaked across her back as he drew the weapon and aimed it at Emily. He kept it fixed on Emily as he forced them forward. The blade continued to press at Ali's neck, any sudden movements and it would slice through her skin.

Alison managed to take her limp left arm in her good hand. She focused on Emily. If she made it, she reasoned with herself, she got to go home. She got to go home to Emily. She got to sleep in Emily's bed, and she'd take life more seriously, write a crime book someday. She'd move in with Emily too and she'd tell Emily just how much she was in love with her.

Emily nodded, encouraging her to move forward. Alison hoped that Emily had a plan – that she was stronger than she looked – but the closer the blonde got, the more her hope waned. Bradley was right, Emily could hardly stand up. If she made it to her, Alison told herself, she'd hold Emily up. They would both get to go home together.

"Pick it up," Bradley said.

Ali looked at Emily who gave her another small nod. The key was still next to Emily's sneaker. Bradley shoved her lower and using her good arm she reached out, her fingers straining to reach it as Bradley held her close. His body moved with hers as she bent down.

She cried, despite herself, and he laughed in her ear. She kept her face downwards so Emily wouldn't see her. Her fingers brushed the key as the blade brushed against her throat, the sickening feeling of metal slicing her skin. She didn't know if it was blood or sweat crawling down her collarbone. She didn't look either.

She flicked her eyes towards Emily, the brunette was barely awake now, and Ali didn't have time to think about it. She threw her good arm backwards into Bradley's stomach an instant before he fired the gun. The action was enough for her to duck out of his arm and look at Emily in case she had been hit again.

Emily slouched against the doorway with the gun in front of her. The second Alison was out of Bradley's reach she pressed the trigger and the sound cracked through the room. Alison dropped to the floor. She was on her hands and knees when Bradley grabbed her again and yanked her upwards.

She was sobbing when Bradley slammed her into the wall face first and held her there. She looked desperately towards her right and saw Emily still in the doorway. She had lost even more colour, she was beginning to look like a wax work.

She still had the gun aimed at Bradley, Alison was so close that she could have reached out and touched it but Emily's arm fell and so did the gun. The brunette's eyes were almost empty. Ali could see her wrestling with the gun to lift it again but she didn't seem to have the energy for it.

"It's getting too heavy for you isn't it?" Bradley asked Emily, his voice sneering. "Your head is spinning and you don't have the strength to pull the trigger."

Emily curled her finger around the trigger and fired again. Ali closed her eyes as the sound crashed though the room, Bradley's body heaved against hers but the knife didn't leave her throat. Then she heard Bradley laughing to himself in her ear and she forced herself to unscrew her eyes. Emily was sinking to the floor.

She'd used the last of her energy to shoot Bradley and she'd hit him, Alison had felt the impact but when the blonde turned her head slightly the only thing she could see was a small tear in Bradley's suit jacket. The bullet had grazed him in no more.

The gun fell from Emily's hand and onto the floor. Ali's throat felt like it was going to close up completely. Emily tried again to stand, failed, and then came to a sitting position with her back against the wall. She looked up at Alison with tears in her eyes, her expression was lost.

"I'm sorry, Ali," Emily mumbled.

Alison was shivering destructively. Bradley was going to hurt her and what worried her the most was that Emily would have to watch it unfold if she could stay awake. This wasn't happening, Ali told herself. This was all a bad dream, she was going to wake up in Emily's arms and laugh at how crazy it was.

The knife was back pressed fully against her throat as Bradley jammed her back against the wall, her head pinned to the cold concrete. Emily was out of view now and all she could focus on was the wall. "I'm going to hurt you," he said simply, his voice rough, "and I'm going to enjoy it."

But then were was a sickening gurgling noise as blood sprayed against the wall in front of her like it was a painting canvas. The weight of him fell against her back. She blinked before she heard the knife clatter onto the floor and for a second she thought that Bradley had cut her and she was bleeding to death without knowing it.

Then she felt him slide down her and onto the floor, the last of him hitting the concrete with a wet thud. She turned her head around and standing where Bradley had been seconds before was Jessica. A scalpel flashing in her hand.

Ali's eyes automatically fell onto Emily. She was still slouched in the same position against the door, her eyes were half open staring ahead but it was like she couldn't see anything.

Jessica wiped the bloody scalpel on her dress. "Why do I have to do everything for myself around here?"

Alison could barely breathe properly. She had to get to Emily and see if she was okay. She inched towards her right and threw herself down at Emily's side. The gun was on the floor by Emily's side next to her thigh as her back rested against the door. Ali didn't give herself time to think, she picked up the gun with her good arm and pointed at Jessica.

She was breathing through hot tears and she was well aware that she was crying in front of Jessica but Alison wasn't scared this time. She was angry; it raged hot and fiery red in her stomach like a whirlpool.

Emily was dying and Jessica had done it. She hadn't fired the gun at Emily but she'd brought them to this place, she'd brought both of them here. Ali was beginning to think that Jessica knew exactly how this whole thing would play out, how unhinged Bradley really was, how Emily wouldn't get out without being inured or worse.

Jessica raised her right eyebrow in Ali's direction. She didn't look afraid or surprised in fact she didn't even look like Ali was causing her any inconvenience. It made Alison hate her even more.

"Alison, you're not going to shoot me sweetie," Jessica said with a bored sigh. "I just saved your life remember?"

Alison pulled the trigger and waited for the recoil but it didn't come. There was no whip like crack and there was no flash or bang. There was nothing except a metallic click. Jessica didn't even blink. A sob was strangling Alison's throat but she kept the gun aimed at Jessica.

"She only had two bullets," Jessica pointed out easily.

Alison pulled the trigger over and over as Jessica moved towards Emily but each time it only clicked. The brunette kneeled next to Emily and despite knowing it was useless, Alison kept the gun fixed on Jessica, because a useless gun was better than no gun.

Jessica pressed two bloody fingers against Emily's neck and Alison swallowed the acidic bile before she squeezed the trigger again. This time there was no click just the distant grind of something scraping against the wall. It was a drill or some sort of power tool. Toby was coming for them. The police were coming.

Jessica must have heard the noise too but her face didn't register any of it. She was scrutinising Emily. She moved her fingers from Emily's neck and onto her wrist. Emily didn't react. Her face was ashen.

Alison's eyes burned with tears. Help was so close, it couldn't be too late for Emily, for them. She could barely form the words to speak. "Is she still alive, Jessica?"

Jessica didn't reply. She turned and her eyes focused on Alison.

Even in this morbid situation, Alison found herself enthralled by her. Even covered in blood Jessica looked like a Hollywood star. The white dress was so stained that it looked like it was covered with large red poppies. Her hands were stained red too.

Jessica reached over and gathered Emily's gun from Ali's hand and dropped it onto the floor next to her, they were so close that Ali could see a tiny freckle on the outside of Jessica's neck just under her ear. Jessica moved and her and Alison were now eye to eye.

"Do you love her?" Jessica asked plainly. "Or, a better question would be, are you in love with her? There's a big difference you know."

Her green eyes glittered maliciously and Ali wondered if Jessica was going to kill her too. It wouldn't have surprised her. "Yes, I'm in love with her," Alison replied strongly.

The brunette nodded a few times to herself. "She's a little crazy, I hope you're aware of that," Jessica replied. "I think I probably had a helping hand with it though," she added proudly.

"She's not crazy," Alison retorted quickly. "She's just… a little fractured. She's working on it, we are working on it together. You're just plain fucking psycho."

Jessica's eyes blazed in her direction and then she put one hand on Ali's upper arm and the other on top of Ali's injured shoulder. The blonde quavered from the intense pain that was currently shooting through her whole body.

"Don't you touch me!" Alison protested. "You've fucking done – "

Jessica's hand tightened and she pressed Ali's shoulder to the wall and then snapped her arm forward. Alison cried. The pain grew out from her shoulder, all the way to her toes and then back up her body again. It made her hair stand on end. Then just as quickly as it started it was over.

Alison, gasping and sweating with tears rolling down her face, carefully tested her arm. She lifted it and then bent it back and forth at the elbow joint. Then she rolled her shoulder. The joint was back safely in it's socket. _Jessica had helped her._

Jessica had turned her attention back onto Emily by the time Alison had moved her thoughts from her shoulder. Jessica held Emily's face in her bloody hands, a soft smile on her mouth, her green eyes twinkling with tears. Then she leaned forward and kissed Emily on the cheek.

It was so gentle and affectionate that Ali nearly believed that Jessica was showing true emotion but then it dawned on her that Jessica was kissing her girlfriend and she went back to wanting to break the brunette's nose because Emily was hers. Not Jessica's anymore.

Then something dread like knotted in her stomach. _Was Emily really dead?_

Alison shook her head furiously and covered her mouth with her hand, not believing it. Emily couldn't be dead. But there was too much blood. And she was so pale. She glanced over at Bradley who looked just like Emily, a large pool of blood circled his head. _They were both dead. _

"No, no, no you did this!" Alison screamed at Jessica. "You killed – " And then she couldn't speak. The tears silenced her and she had trouble swallowing them, like her throat really had closed up entirely. No oxygen could get in or out.

Alison turned hysterically back to Emily, the knot in her stomach felt like it was twisting around every organ, sucking the life out of her, slowly crushing her from the inside out. Jessica was scrutinising her again. The red dots of blood that covered Jessica looked like tiny freckles.

The emotion, Ali thought she had seen, was gone. If it had ever been there in the first place. Jessica looked at Ali with a sense of superiority, like she was regal and Ali was the underclass. Ali's lips trembled as she looked at Jessica, waiting for some sort of answer but on the other hand not wanting to hear what she had to say.

Jessica didn't open her mouth to give any answers. Instead, she stood up and adjusted the dress that was soaked to her skin. Ali reached for Emily's hand, hoping that she'd feel the warmth she'd gotten used to over the past few months. But the brunette's hand was cool to the touch. She brought it to her cheek and watched her tears dilute some of the blood on Emily's hand.

She could hear the grind of the power tools and then the hurried banging of someone beating their fists on a metal door.

"They will get here soon," Jessica said. "Get her on her back and keep her knees up."

Alison stared at Jessica, confused. A tiny twinge of hope constricted in her chest. And then it fluttered. She continued to stare at Jessica, her blue eyes pleading at green ones.

Jessica sighed. "It's just hypovolemic shock from blood loss sweetie, she's not dead…yet."

Ali made a noise that sounded something like a sob and a laugh all in one. She huddled over Emily. The brunette was damp with sweat and her eyes were half open again. There were two red fingerprints on her neck where Jessica had touched her.

Ali shadowed the spot with her own fingers. Her own heart was beating so frantically that it was hard to recognise anything else but then she felt it. A faint beating against the tips of her fingers and then she started to cry again.

"Keep her warm," Jessica insisted as she moved past Alison and picked the key up off the floor. She adjusted her dress again before she stood on the outside of the door. She was leaving, Ali realised.

The thought flooded her with immediate relief which then turned into panic. Alison didn't know what to do with someone with shock from blood loss, all she could fix was cuts and grazes with band-aids. What was she supposed to keep Emily warm with?

"I had fun with you sweetie," Jessica said cheerfully as she curled her hand around the doorjamb. She frowned in Ali's direction before she bit her lip. "I don't quite know what I'm going to do next to top this, I'll be in touch." She gave Ali a dazzling smile and disappeared out of the doorjamb and down the corridor.  
><em><br>_For a few moments, Alison didn't move. She held Emily's hand tightly in her own. She didn't want to lay Emily down it would hurt the brunette and it may make things worse. _Jessica said lay her on her back. _She rolled her shoulder again to make sure it was still working and began to ease Emily onto the floor.

She waited for a wail of sound to come from the brunette but there was nothing. The only sound was the power tools and they were getting close, she could hear the resistance weakening. When Emily was on her back Ali crawled and lifted each of her legs. Emily's hands were still at her sides on the concrete.

Ali reached out again to give Emily's hand a squeeze. It felt colder than it had the last time. Alison lifted it and brought it to her chest in an attempt to warm it up. She glanced around the room for something to use as a cover but there was nothing. She kissed Emily's palm, grimacing at the blood, before she had a brain wave.

She stretched herself out on the floor next to Emily and wrapped her arms around the brunette's chest, bringing Emily's head into the crook of her neck. She could feel something wet and sticky on her front and she realised that Emily's blood was transferring over to her. Alison gripped Emily tighter.

"I love you Em, okay? You hear me? I love you, I'm in love with you," Alison told Emily as tears ran freely down her face and she buried her face in Emily's hair as sobs racked her chest. "You're going to be fine babe, we are going to be fine, we're going to be okay…Toby's nearly here for us," she mumbled incoherently in an attempt to reassure herself.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry that this chapter is so dark and emosh haha. I think every Emison fan needs a little fluff in their lives right now but this isn't the story for that atm! Anyway, the title from this chapter comes from Gin Wigmore – Kill of the Night and if you've never heard it it describes Emily and Jessica's relationship perfectly for me haha. Anyway, leave me a review if you wish! And if you want follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93 or Tumblr; my url is amusingbutconfusingg I will follow you all back :<em>)


	26. Every You, Every Me

_Glad you all liked the slightly darker chapter, it was a lot of fun to write but this chapter is a lot lighter in the scheme of things, there's even a good bit of fluff in it towards the end so hopefully it'll help with the angst of the last few chapters. Thank you again for reading and being awesome while reviewing; please keep doing so!_

* * *

><p>Alison's neck hurt. It had taken eleven stitches to close the wound on her neck where Bradley had sliced it with the knife. Luckily, the sheer volume of her blonde hair would hide any scar that appeared from it. The doctor hadn't spared her on the bandages though.<p>

The entire side of her head was wrapped in gauze and tape. Her left arm had been tied up in a sling. She looked like she'd just gotten out of a bad car accident or something. Ali ran her finger along the edge of the bandage on her head, the tape itched her skin and she couldn't get hair out of her ear. It was infuriating.

Aria said something to her.

"What?" Ali asked, turning to look over at her best friend who was sat in the chair next to her bed, a hospital issued magazine in her hand.

"Stop pulling at your bandages," Aria said. "It wont help your head."

Aria had brought a box of grapes with her, which sat on a tray one of the nurses had brought in for Alison earlier on in the day. The sky outside looked like it had had a bottle of bleach poured over it. Aria's fingers made a familiar noise of turning pages that Ali found oddly comforting.

Those first few hours when they'd given Alison the good pain relief and she had been drifting in and out of reality, she had liked hearing that sound every time she rallied because it meant that her best friend was close by. She'd told her parents to go home; sometimes parents were just too concerned and too eager to help that they just became a hindrance more than anything else.

"Where the hell are the doctors? They said they were coming to discharge me," Alison huffed. She was already dressed. Aria had bought her clothes to change into – a pair of black jeans and a baggy blue sweater that belonged to Emily but she'd taken it home one night and never returned it.

"They said sometime today, Ali. You were hurt pretty badly," Aria replied. She smiled encouragingly over at the blonde. "Your sling goes with your sweater, or should I say Emily's sweater?"

Alison rolled her eyes. "They said soon an hour ago. Useless, incompetent – " she stopped when she looked over at Aria before she looked down at her hand. She still had an IV line in her hand, a tiny purple bruise had formed around the skin where the needle had pierced through.

Emily's blood had taken a long time to get off her hands. Literally. They'd let Alison shower after she promised that she wouldn't get any of the bandages wet. She'd washed her hands until they were red raw under the hot water; until every single dot of blood had washed away. But now she could see a faint red line still under her fingernail.

She was getting impatient. "I even fucking smell like the hospital soap," she complained as she curled her hand into a ball.

"How's your shoulder?" Aria asked as she folded the magazine up and threw it the short distance onto the tray next to the grapes.

Alison rolled it a few times. The doctors had done a scan and seemed to think that it would be just fine after a few days rest. She had been lucky, that's what they had told her, lucky that someone had popped it back into place before any long term damage had been done.

"It's fine," she said as she hopped off the bed and over to the window.

She could almost see the whole of Rosewood from her window. The cold weather outside had leached all the colour from the sky. There was a news helicopter buzzing in the distance, she knew where it was circling.

"I want to see Emily. Now," Alison said.

Aria looked up with a sad smile on her face. "I know, Ali. I know."

Alison scraped at a fine line on her neck. It hadn't needed any stitches. A neat thread of skin had already formed over the area where Bradley's knife had damaged her flesh.

"Don't pick at that either," Aria scolded gently before she leaned over and popped a red grape into her mouth.

Toby and Spencer had taken turns at stopping by and giving them updates on Emily. Emily was out of surgery and in the recovery room. Alison already knew that much but she wouldn't feel right until she had seen the brunette with her own eyes.

"She's long gone and they won't catch her until she wants them to," Alison mumbled to Aria, who was now standing at her side, the petite brunette's head rested on her shoulder.

They both knew who Alison meant.

_- x -_

The first ting Emily saw when she opened her eyes was what appeared to be an angel. She was dressed all in white, a golden halo of light circled her auburn hair and her face was sweet and peaceful, a small smile played across her face.

"Who are you?" Emily croaked hoarsely to the woman.

The smile on the woman's face widened. "You're awake," she announced as she leaned across and reached for a clipboard, scribbling a few things down before she set it back onto the tray. "I'm your nurse. I will just let the doctor know that you're awake, Emily."

Emily's body felt like a burst football. She lifted her hand to her face saw that an IV line had been taped there with a mess of clear tubes snaking around. She blinked again as images of what had happened bombarded her thoughts. White bandages hugged her stomach.

_Alison. _Panic twisted through her stomach and into her throat and she tried, feebly, to sit up. "Ali?" she questioned out loud, hoping the nurse would come back. She tried to lift her head but her voice was cracking.

She looked to her right and Hanna came into view. "She's fine, Emily, don't worry," Hanna said with a reassuring smile as she scooted forward on her chair and took Emily's hand. Emily sank back into her bed in relief. "Toby and Spencer are here," Hanna added although Emily couldn't see them. "They're on our coffee run and then they will explain everything."

_Alison was alive. Somehow, she was alive. _Emily nodded softly before she looked at Hanna, her own eyes were heavy and full of sleep but she could see the tiredness on the blonde's face too. Her whole body itched and her arms felt lead like. It was like being back in the basement.

"They have you on the good pain meds right now, so if you come and go it's fine," Hanna commented as she tilted her head. "But I will tell you this, Em. You ever leave me like that again and I will not hesitate in opening a can of whoop ass on you."

She smiled fully in Emily's direction and Emily fought to keep her eyes open, trying to concentrate on Hanna. "When can I see her Han?" Emily asked sluggishly.

"I'm not sure yet, Spencer said she was waiting to be discharged," Hanna said, glancing over at the door. "You've been out for hours, it's the middle of the afternoon and Spencer's at her peak caffeine need."

Emily blinked again as she tried to do the math, to try and work out how long she had been in this room, to sort through the images that were flashing in her mind like a warning. Everything was all so mixed up and out of place. She looked at Hanna again.

"You were brought here early morning, around seven," Hanna explained. "You were in surgery for a few hours but they said you will make a full recovery and they even managed to put the bullet in a little jar." Hanna had done it so many times now that she was a hospital vigil expert for Emily. "Your parents will be here tomorrow, they couldn't get a flight today."

"And Jessica?" Emily asked, the name seemed to hover above her bed and between them. Just floating there in the middle of the air.

Hanna's smile faded and her face hardened in expression. "She's missing, well that's what they are saying anyway. Really she's gone and they don't have a clue. We both know that. They've told people to stay indoors and be vigilant."

The words travelled around Emily's brain like a blood clot just waiting to burst. Jessica had managed to escape from the tunnels. She was still out there somewhere just waiting for the next opportunity. Emily could feel herself slipping away into the darkness again and all thoughts of Jessica faded into nothing.

_- x -_

"Ali?" Emily cried out. She was disorientated. _Where was she?_ She tried to sit up but a soft hand on her arm stopped her and she eventually opened her eyes through the grit.

"You're still in hospital, Em." It was Spencer. "Lets take it easy, shall we?"

Emily could vaguely remember this room. "Is she okay?" Emily asked.

Spencer kept her hand on Emily's arm. "Her neck is all stitched up," she replied in a tone that made Emily think that they had already had this conversation a few times before. "Her arm is in a sling and she's about to murder someone if she's not allowed to see you soon. Hanna and Aria are with her right now until she gets discharged."

Emily relaxed a little as she looked around the room she was in. She was in a large room with a butter coloured couch and a gathering of chairs, as if extra seats had been brought to her room. She saw a fashion magazine and remembered Hanna being there.

Shreds of her memory began to form in her mind, cleaving at her chest. "Did you guys get Bradley?" Emily asked.

"Jessica killed him," Spencer replied bluntly, pulling the plastic chair closer to the bed that Emily was in. "You need rest but we will talk about Jessica later and Amelia is still being held. Do you want us to keep questioning her in case she knows more than she's telling us?"

Emily closed her eyes. If she had any shame left she would have shrivelled up from the humiliation of being played by Jessica from prison by using her upstairs neighbour. But she was too tired.

"No," Emily mumbled. "But tell her I said go back to California and never take on an email related job again. I don't think Jessica will want to hurt her." She thought about Jessica in her tainted blood stained dress. "Then again, you never know."

_- x -_

Toby was in deep discussion with Spencer and Hanna. For a moment they didn't notice that Emily had woken up, she strained to hear what they were talking about but with her senses blurred with drugs and pain meds it was a struggle.

Hanna noticed her first. "Look who is awake," she remarked and Toby and Spencer both turned in her direction before all three of them made their way over towards the bed. Alison still wasn't anywhere to be found, she was beginning to think that they had lied to her and something had gone badly wrong with the blonde.

"Toby was just updating us on the manhunt," Hanna said as she sat down. "Well woman hunt or monster hunt even."

Toby stood behind Spencer, his arms folded across his chest. "Jessica's good at escaping but we're working with every possible agency we can to make sure she can't get too far."

It was ridiculous. A waste of time looking for her, why didn't they all understand that? Emily thought to herself. Jessica had gotten what she wanted. She'd gotten to Emily, she'd gotten her to reach Bradley and she'd gotten rid of Bradley for good.

"She's gone," Emily stated simply. "Gone."

Toby nodded in her direction as if he understood what she was saying. "Yeah, she's gone, Em," Toby acknowledged as he pulled his cell out of his pocket and gave it a quick glance over before he looked Emily straight in the eyes. "For now."

Hanna cleared her throat before she reached her hand out onto Emily's arm. "I don't get why she's obsessed with you, I don't, but the doctors said if she hadn't told Alison how to save you then you would be dead by now. She basically saved your life."

"Oh, lucky me," Emily snorted. _Of course she saved me again. __Just fucking perfect._

Emily shook her head and it made her thoughts swim. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two uniforms standing outside of her room door. She squinted before she looked at the three of them. "I want to see Ali, and what the hell are they doing outside my door? They look about fifteen."

"It's just a precaution Em, and I will go and check on Ali," Spencer said as she stood up and slipped out of the door and into the hallway.

"I'll go with you," Hanna added, sensing that Toby and Emily needed a moment.

Toby stepped away towards the window when his cell began to ring. Emily watched him. He was wearing the same clothes that Emily had last seen him in, his boots were covered in dirt and his t-shirt was dotted with specks of blood. A wilted green leaf stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

"Who was that?" Emily asked as Toby came and sat on her bed at the bottom.

"Callahan, they found a journal of Bradley's documenting all of his 'work' with Jessica. I need to go down to the offices."

Emily nodded. She could feel the saline drip seeping into her vein, the cold bright burn of it in her blood. She could feel the dent of Toby on her bed, a heavy weight that seemed to drag the bed towards the floor. Emily watched as he reached into his pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper.

Toby unfurled the paper and held it out in Emily's direction so that she would be able to read it for herself. She recognised the writing immediately; Jessica's. All curves and loops with no edges. _'I'll see you soon sweetheart, but until next time take care of yourself.'_

"Toby, we need to go," Spencer coaxed as she popped her head back into the door. "Sorry Em, but duty calls. We will be back to see you later, Hanna will be back soon," she added before she hurried back a long the corridor.

Toby looked at Emily and the weight of his stare made Emily's head hurt. Then he rolled up the note in his hand until it was the size of a marble. "Tell me you are not still involved with her, Emily."

"What?" Emily stuttered. "Of course I'm not still involved with her!"

"Good. You better keep it that way. You should have seen yourself when we found you and Alison. You looked like you had been dead for hours and Alison looked like she would need scraped off your body."

Emily didn't like to imagine Ali having to see her like that. "Oh God, she must have been terrified," Emily croaked as she looked away and blinked back the tears that threatened her eyes.

"Surprisingly, no," Toby said. "She was clear headed and holding you so your body temperature wouldn't fall anymore. She kind of saved your life, Emily."

Toby stood before he made the few steps towards the door. He turned and looked at Emily again. "Here," he said, throwing the crumpled paper note from his hand across the room.

Emily caught it in her hand and curled her palm around it to hold it tightly.

_- x -_

The nurse in the white scrubs was checking Emily over when she woke up again. "I'm sorry if I woke you," the nurse whispered gently as she gazed down at the blood pressure cuff on Emily's arm.

Emily blinked sleepily. It was pitch black outside and the lights in the room had been turned down to the lowest setting, giving the room an almost red glow, just enough light to find the way to the bathroom and the exit door.

"What time is it?" Emily asked hoarsely.  
><em><br>_"Just gone midnight," the nurse said. "If you're hungry I can get you some food? You have been asleep for hours," she added as she rolled the blood pressure cuff up into a neat bundle. Emily was staring at the figure on the couch over the nurse's shoulder.

The nurse stepped back and wrote something else down on Emily's chart before she turned and looked at Alison. "She's been here for hours," she whispered. "I will leave you to it, if you need me for anything just call." She walked to the door before she paused at the light switch. "Do you want these turned off?"

"No," Emily replied, her eyes still fixed on Alison. "Just leave them like this."

When Emily heard the click of the door on the latch, she noiselessly moved herself on the bed, ignoring the searing pain in her lower abdomen so she could see Alison better. The blonde was wearing her blue sweater, Emily had wondered where it had gotten to and now she had her answer.

The dim light was just enough to highlight the features of Ali's face, peaceful with sleep, punctured only by the intrusive white bandage that covered her ear and neck. Her knees were curled up against her chest and she had her head resting on one hand, her other arm was contained in a sling.

Emily could see Ali breathing, the soft rise and fall of her body against the royal blue material of her sweater. She watched Alison for a long time. Sometimes the blonde's foot would squirm or she'd move her injured arm and her face would tense for a second before her arm stopped and she'd go back to being peaceful.

Emily didn't even notice when Alison opened her eyes. She was just watching Alison and after awhile she became aware that Alison was watching her too. Her breathing hadn't changed though, her body remained just as it was, but her blue eyes were wide awake. Finally she moved forward and yawned.

"I must have fallen asleep," Alison conceded.

Emily smiled softly at her. "Yeah, I think so."

"What time is it?"

"The nurse said it was just after midnight," Emily answered. "How are you feeling?"

Alison massaged her shoulder joint. "I'm okay, they said I was lucky that she fixed it for me when she did otherwise I could have done damage."

"She?" Emily questioned. Then what Alison was saying hit her. "You mean Jessica?"

Alison's face went red. "Yeah, I'm sorry Em. I forgot you were unconscious, I just thought someone would have told you."

Emily felt an uneasy sensation spread across her skin like hives and then she had a fragment of memory that told her she already knew Jessica had helped save them. Someone had already told her but she couldn't remember who. "Did she do or say anything to you, Ali?"

Alison shook her head. "No, she told me that she had fun and she didn't know what she was going to do next to top it. She told me to keep you warm so I did what she said."

"Toby said you saved my life."

Alison shrugged. "Do you remember anything?" she asked cautiously. Part of Ali hoped that Emily remembered her telling Jessica that she was in love with her, the other part didn't want the embarrassment of it. Alison wasn't used to sharing feelings like that.

"Honestly? Not much," Emily admitted. She tried to sort through the labyrinth of memories but they were still too tangled up for her to make any sort of sense of them. "I remember I pulled the trigger and then it kind of all fades to black after that."

Alison blew out through her cheeks and Emily thought she saw relief in the blonde's body language. "I can't see you Ali," Emily said.

Alison lifted her head towards the brunette. "What?"

"I want to see you," Emily replied. "Come over here."

Alison stood up off the couch and rolled her shoulder before she padded her way over to Emily's bed in her sock clad feet. As Alison got closer Emily noticed her changing from shades of orange and gold to full colour, her flesh perfectly pink and her sapphire eyes watching her. Emily patted the empty space on her bed.

"Aria bought us grapes if you want one?" Alison asked as she looked over to box of red grapes that were half empty before she sat down.

Emily shook her head gently. "I'm not all that hungry."

"They don't have scalpels or that sticking out of them," Alison chuckled.

Emily leaned her head back against her pillow, a full smile plastered on her face. "I didn't think they did babe."

Alison struggled to contain the yawn that was pulling at her lungs and eventually lost, her mouth opening as she closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh. Then she looked back at Emily. "I'm sorry I didn't get you a better birthday gift. Ending up in hospital wasn't my first choice."

"I think I got enough presents this year, Ali." Emily answered.

Alison stretched her good arm out in front of them. "I'm so tired," she confided. "They gave me these pain relief pills and I feel so tired because of them. How do you do it?"

"Come on," Emily said as she moved over on the bed to make better room for the both of them. Alison hesitated for a second before she folded herself on her side next to Emily. The bed was small but there was just enough room for the both of them.

Ali's face was at Emily's shoulder, her nose and lips almost grazing the brunette's skin. Her knees pressed gently against Emily's stitches, but Emily didn't move.

"Emily?" Alison whispered gently. "Do you really not remember anything?"

Emily shifted slightly and ignored the pain in her stomach. "No, why? What happened, Ali?"

Alison breathed out before she leaned up on her good arm. "I told Jessica how I feel about you. She asked and you told me I shouldn't lie to her because she'd know. I want to tell you because I know she will if I don't."

Emily nodded as butterflies knotted in her stomach. "And how do you feel about me?"

"I love you… I'm in love with you," Alison answered sincerely.

She watched as Emily blinked in her direction before the brunette opened her mouth. "But I'm crazy Ali, and I have a psycho to prove that." Alison found it oddly curious how Jessica and Emily had both said the exact same thing, nearly to the word.

"We are all a little crazy," Alison stated simply. "But, I'm in love with you more than you are crazy, Em."

Emily smiled as she leaned across and pressed her lips against Ali's, the blonde's tongue brushed softly against her own before Alison pulled away, a coy smile tugged at her lips.

"Are you not going to reply?" Alison teased playfully.

"Oh come on, you do know how I feel about you Ali, don't you?" Alison tilted her head expectantly in Emily's direction, obviously waiting for the words to hit the air. "What? Oh don't make me say it babe, I'm really bad at the feelings thing, really bad," Emily said.

"You know when I first met you I thought you were this painfully cool and hard core detective who wasn't afraid of anything. Saving my life and things like that. But now I'm changing my mind, you're a big fat coward really," Alison continued with a grin as she jabbed playfully at Emily's bare shoulder where the hospital gown didn't quite cover the skin.

"Fine… I love you, Ali," Emily said quietly.

"What? I don't think I heard that babe."

Emily rolled her eyes before she looked straight at Ali, holding the blonde's stare with her own. "I love you and I'm in love with you."

Alison smirked before she leaned across and placed a kiss on Emily's lips, savouring the taste of the brunette's mouth on her own. "Good. Now get some rest."

Alison adjusted herself on the bed so that Emily's head could rest on her chest, she had her good arm around Emily's shoulders while her other arm remained in it's sling. Emily closed her eyes and Alison watched as her breathing slowed. Her foot twitched against Alison's leg.

"Emily?" Alison asked cautiously, unaware if Emily was asleep or not. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," Emily replied as she slung her arms over Ali's stomach, drawing the blonde closer to her but not enough to hurt her new stitches.

Alison hesitated for a second before she spoke. "Why aren't you upset about being shot or being taken by her again? I look calm but I'm freaking out underneath the pain meds. I'm scared she will come back and I don't want to cry about it but at the same time I do."

Emily tried to crane her head upwards as far as she could so she could see Ali's face. "It's okay to be scared and it's okay to cry about it. But you're right, I'm not upset, I'm just angry at her now."

"Hanna said you didn't cry about what happened to you after awhile. She said talking to you about Jessica was like pulling teeth. You just shut down on them."

Emily sighed before she rolled over onto her back slightly so she could look at Alison properly. "I still don't like talking about it but I will talk to you about it if you want me to. After I got released from hospital I cried a lot believe me. But then there came a point when the tears just weren't enough. The pain and distress I felt was so intense that crying didn't do it any justice. So, I just stopped."

"Did you ever consider moving to Texas to be with your parents?"

"Briefly, but it wouldn't have worked. My life is here, my job is here and well, now you are here," Emily replied truthfully. "Have you seen your parents today?"

Alison nodded before she yawned again. A small 'O' formed on her face. "Yeah, they wanted me to go home but I needed to see you first. I really need my own place," Alison laughed.

_Now or never, _Emily thought to herself. "Well, why don't you come home with me? You basically spend every night at my apartment anyway."

"Yeah, of course I will come over and stay with you when you get home," Alison replied nonchalantly, not grasping what Emily was saying properly.

Emily blew out her cheeks, Alison was worse at this kind of stuff than her and that was saying something. "No, why don't you make my apartment your apartment too?"

"Like…move in with you?"

_There you go, _Emily thought_. _"Yeah. I mean you don't have to and it's just an option because…well you have stuff at my place anyway and well… I don't know if you have ever thought about it." Alison found Emily's rambling adorable. "But obviously I don't want you to say yes because you think you need to, I'd uh… I'd like if you wanted to live with me too."

It was bordering on cruel to let Emily go on like it any further. "Em," Alison silenced her with a gentle yet heated kiss and, forgetting all about their setting, she placed her hand on Emily's waist to draw her a little closer. "I want to live with you too."

Emily beamed and wrapped her arms around Ali's neck, pulling the blonde downwards for another kiss. "Good. I want to live with you too."

Emily smiled as Ali hopped off the bed and crawled under the sheets with her, it suddenly felt a whole lot warmer. "So we are housemates now too."

"Housemates who are in love," Alison corrected easily her before she lay her head on Emily chest, careful of putting her good arm across the brunette's body so she didn't hit any stitches.

"Yeah and that," Emily smiled.

_- x -_

Emily watched as Alison closed her eyes, a few moments later her breathing had evened out and equalized. Maybe it was the painkillers or just the situation but lying there next to Alison in the hospital bed, Emily thought that maybe she could remember what Toby had said about Alison keeping her temperature from tanking. She had a memory of being seriously cold and then there being a warm presence around her.

She peered over at the bedside tray that sat next to her bed where a small rolled up piece of paper still sat. Then, very cautiously, so she didn't wake Alison, Emily reached over and picked up the ball of paper. She brought it to her chest, her hand was still wired to the IV line, and with a glance at Ali, she flattened the piece of paper out.

Jessica's handwriting stared back at her. This was her only connection to Jessica right now. '_I'll see you soon sweetheart, but until next time take care of yourself.' _She'd seen Jessica's hand writing so many times that she thought she knew it by heart, but now the words looked foreign to her. Fading in her memory.

Emily glanced down at Alison. Then she closed her hand, scrunching the note in her palm. A small plastic trashcan sat against the wall just a few feet away from her bedside tray. Emily threw the rolled up paper and it sailed through the air, landing in the trash can with a small clunk.

Then she settled back into the bed with Ali. She was suddenly wide awake. Alison moved in her sleep and Emily had to brace herself as the blonde's body pressed into her tender stitches but she didn't care. She stayed still, trying to stay small, to give Ali enough room on the bed to be comfortable.

The blonde's mouth was open and her breath was hot against the material of the hospital dressing gown, Emily could feel it through the fabric. Ali moved again and threw her leg over Emily's.

Emily stayed awake for a while, watching Alison like that, and then, finally, with the happy contentment that only love brings, she fell asleep.


	27. I Want You To Want Me

_New chapter guys! This is pretty fluffy chapter, it was super fun writing domestic Emison! There's even a wee M rated part to make up for the angst. Thank you to all of you who have left me Tumblr messages they are very sweet and I love getting every single one of them. All of you are awesome! Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter and if you do leave me a review! (Over 1000 already is INCREDIBLE THANK YOU!)_

* * *

><p>"You'll call us when you get there won't you, Alison?" Jessica DiLaurentis asked nicely as her and her husband, Ken, stood at the window of Ali's car.<p>

Alison resisted the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. "I'm moving into Emily's apartment, I'm not moving across the country and you know when we have everything sorted and unpacked we will invite you both over for dinner." Alison could see that her words had pacified her Mom and Dad to some degree.

She peered quickly down at the various self defence sprays that were sprawled across the passenger seat of her car. Mace. Pepper spray. There was even some toxic homemade spray that her Mom had made for her and Emily. She hadn't bothered to give Emily hers. Alison didn't think it would do her much use. She scooped the sprays into her purse before she started the car.

Alison gave her parents a wave before she pulled away from the sidewalk. She was finally moving out of her childhood house and not just into any old apartment. She was moving into Emily's apartment. She found herself foolishly grinning out of the car window as she drove in the direction of Emily's apartment. _Your apartment now too. _

She looked out of the window and up at the sky. Despite the azure blue, the temperature had plummeted over the last three weeks as December rolled around. Emily's apartment was only thirty minutes away but, looking at the traffic, Alison reasoned that she could be there in less time than that.

She was just turning out the end of her street when she pressed the radio on and she was in the middle of turning the volume up when her phone vibrated on her lap and nearly caused her to bump into an Escalade in front of her. Alison stepped harshly on the breaks, causing her purse to spill its contents all over the floor.

The woman behind the wheel of the Escalade had dark hair. Her head was turned and Ali couldn't see her face but there was something about the hair. Something familiar. Ali's body went rigid cold. Jessica. She couldn't move for a second. She stalled her car and she pressed down on the horn hoping to get the woman to look up and in her direction but the woman didn't.

Alison gazed across the street where a huge billboard with Jessica's face on it advertised a special news edition of _World's Sexiest Serial Killers. _Another brunette drove past her in a different type of car. Alison shook her head, turned the ignition and pulled away again. This was ridiculous.

Jessica was long gone. And even she wasn't – well she wouldn't be caught cruising around Rosewood in an Escalade, Alison was sure of that. Her phone vibrated on her lap again and she closed her eyes to give herself a minute. This couldn't go on. At this rate she'd be dead of a heart attack before she even reached Emily's, no their, apartment.

_- x -_

There were eight therapy sessions a day at Rosewood Community Hospital. Emily had finally given up the game and had gone to two a week now for the past two weeks since her release from hospital. She'd been kept in for seven days as a precaution.

She wasn't even sure why there were eight a day when it was mostly the same people who attended them all. She wasn't even sure why she was there. _Because Alison and everyone else thinks it will help you and you know it will too. Somewhere. Somehow. Deep down. _

"Do you want to stay for an extra session, Emily?" Anne O'Sullivan asked her. O'Sullivan been specifically recommended by Spencer and anyone who was good enough for Spencer was good enough for Emily.

"Nope," Emily said easily. She'd helped push the tables to the side and then she'd helped arrange the chairs in a semi circle in the middle of the private room. "This is the bi polar and the schizophrenics session coming up. Us serial killer trophies only need two session a week to work through our worries."

"So you do have a sense of humour then?" O'Sullivan said with a genuine smile.

"Isn't that a good thing? Joking at therapy?" Emily asked.

Emily followed O'Sullivan across the hall and into one of the individual treatment rooms. She didn't know if it was because she was Spencer's best friend or if it was because she was a detective but Emily, so far, was always given an extra twenty to twenty five minutes free with O'Sullivan after their group session. Why twenty-five minutes and not an even thirty she didn't know.

"How is your wound? And how is Alison?" O'Sullivan asked.

Emily sat down in one of the ugly brown coloured chairs that faced each other in the room. "It's a little tender but it's nothing I can't handle and Alison is fine, a little tense but that's expected."

O'Sullivan sat in the opposite chair and set her coffee cup on the armrest. "Why do you say that?"

Emily shrugged. "Well we are living our life knowing that Jessica could show up at anytime and she will. I know she will."

"Has Alison moved into your apartment fully?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, she should be at the apartment with the last of her stuff right now. She said she feels safe in my apartment even though she knows Jessica knows exactly where I live."

O'Sullivan tilted her head in Emily's direction and looked hard at her. "It is important to you that Alison feels safe isn't it?"

_What kind of fucking question is that? Obviously! _Emily slouched back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling. A sprinkler was directly above her, staring back at her, just in case she burst into flames or something. "It's more important to me than anything else."

There was silence in the room for a moment as they both looked at each other from their places in their opposite facing chairs.

"How about you? Do you feel safe, Emily?" O'Sullivan asked.

Emily shifted her head and shook her finger at O'Sullivan. "No, no. I think I know where you are going with this."

O'Sullivan sat forward, resting her elbows on her thighs. "If it's important to you that Alison is safe, don't you think that it is important to her that you feel safe too?"

Emily looked out the window. "Jessica is out there you know?" Emily could feel her. It was a stupid notion to think people could feel each other's presence. She wasn't psychic or anything of the sort. But still she knew – as much as she knew that the sky was blue – that Jessica was never very far away from her. Probably watching.

O'Sullivan put her hand on Emily's arm and looked at her in the eye. "There will always be serial killers Emily, maybe not all of them will be like Jessica Jackson but they will always exist. Bad things happen and people die. That's the brutality of life."

Emily couldn't concentrate. O'Sullivan was sat looking at her now. Waiting. That's what therapy was like, watching and waiting for you to start bawling like a baby and throwing yourself down on the floor before you stood up, brushed yourself down and said 'thanks for all the help you cured me'.

Emily was good at waiting. It was a skill that she had learnt while interviewing, both, witnesses and criminals. Perfect, golden silence. Almost everyone felt the need to talk when it got too silent and that's when the facts began to surface. People would blab about anything just to avoid sitting in silence for too long.

But Emily wasn't used to being the one expected to do the talking. She pulled her arm away from under O'Sullivan's hand. "Emily, at some point you have to forgive yourself. You have moved on. Jessica is still out there but you need to let her go. Let the others catch her. They are capable."

_Forgive herself, right. Other people catch Jessica? _Emily nearly laughed_. _"Anne," Emily said softly. "I had a sexual relationship with a serial killer. Do you understand that?"

O'Sullivan didn't miss a beat. "I know that, but you weren't aware of that at the time. Which part do you hate about it the most?" she asked and then she waited. But the silent treatment didn't work with Emily.

Emily glanced down at the watch on her right wrist. "It's been twenty seven minutes and I need to go home to Alison because she's the reason I'm still here. If you want to know how I feel I will tell you. I'm thankful that I agreed to a newspaper profile because Alison is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I hate the fact that I didn't meet her ten years ago." She jumped out the chair and shut the room door before O'Sullivan could even say goodbye to her.

She pressed the button on the elevator and waited for it to arrive, typing a quick text to Alison in the mean time as a young nurse stood behind her. When the elevator announced it's arrival with a gentle ping she stepped inside and the nurse followed her.

She looked at the sign attached to the right hand side of the elevator: _If the doors fail to open do not panic. Press the emergency button and wait for assistance. It is unlikely that the elevator will run out of oxygen or drop down the shaft._

"Really reassuring that is," Emily commented to the young nurse next to her. "They have a sign like that in my apartment building too."

The nurse's eyes widened at the sign.

"It's for the crazy people, don't worry," Emily explained. "Some of us tend to panic easily."

Emily wasn't making the nurse feel more comfortable so she decided to stop talking.

_- x -_

"I'm home," Emily called from the apartment door before she shut it over and locked it, throwing her keys onto the table before turning her attention to Ali who was in the kitchen. The smell wafting through the apartment was pure heaven.

Alison was wearing the same red top and jeans that Emily had seen her in earlier in the day before she had gone back to her parents' house for the last of her things. But the more Emily looked, the more Alison's hips had more shape to them. Boxes were still strewn around all over the apartment, just waiting to be unpacked.

Emily tilted her head as she made her way into the kitchen, placing her head on Ali's shoulder as her hands gripped onto the blonde's waist. "We should skip dinner, I know you've probably spent ages on it but we can always heat it up later," Emily said as she pressed a kiss onto Ali's neck.

"Um, no," Alison replied with a smirk. "As much as you are insatiable right now, I am starving and I did spend time on this meal for us. Plus if you don't control yourself you won't see the nice underwear I am wearing from that box you managed to find. How was therapy?"

Emily laughed softly and kissed Ali's neck again. "Okay, fine," she reluctantly accepted. "But only because I do love all the nice underwear that you have and therapy was fine. Same old rubbish."

Ali turned in Emily's arms; she traced her hand down the brunette's cheek before her finger rested on a cute dimple. "I know you don't like going but I am proud of you Em, and if you enjoy this meal I've cooked for us I will make sure I say my own thanks to you for taking my advice and speaking to someone," Alison said with a wink before she tugged Emily's hand in the direction of the living room.

"Sit and wait here," Alison said as she nudged Emily onto the couch before she spun on her heels and headed back into the kitchen.

Emily looked over her shoulder and smiled as Alison walked towards her with two full plates, she had them both balanced on one arm while her other hand was wrapped around a white wine bottle. Emily grinned further. "Wow, what is all this?"

"Steak, sweet potato fries and onion rings," Alison answered simply. "It's not restaurant quality but it's me quality," she added as she sat everything down on the coffee table awkwardly.

Emily leaned over and brought her plate to her lap, cutting into the steak and beaming at Alison because the blonde had cooked her steak to perfection. She didn't think Alison could do anything that wasn't right. "This is amazing, I can't remember the last time I had a home meal like this."

Alison smiled in Emily's direction. "I bet you're glad you asked me to move in then."

Emily nodded as she held a bit of steak on her fork at her lips. "Definitely glad," she said before she popped the steak into her mouth, groaning appreciatively at the explosion of taste in her mouth.

Emily took a few more bites before she spoke again. "You know I have a sweet tooth so what's for dessert?"

Alison just smirked. "Finish this and we will see about your dessert. I promise."

With a full smile Emily dug in to the rest of her meal.

"Ali," she said as she placed her empty plate on the coffee table. "If you keep on cooking like this for me I'm going to buy you a fancy apron so you can be my cook full time."

Alison smiled before she swallowed her last few sweet potato fries. "I don't think you've thought that all the way through, Em. Who is going to bring you impromptu coffees and doughnuts when you go back to work if I don't go to work?"

_- x -_

Alison never got to serve Emily the dessert she had promised. The truth was she didn't have anything prepared because she knew what was going to happen. She'd been delicately dragged into the bedroom from the living room before she could even admit it to Emily. She was in no position to argue as Emily hovered above her, the brunette's body in between her legs while Emily's lips assaulted her neck.

"We are like horny teenagers," Emily breathed as she pulled away slightly, "we have nearly done it in every single room in this apartment. Even though I'm wounded and all," she laughed bitterly.

"It's a good thing though right?" Alison said as she leaned up and kissed Emily again, when her head dropped back onto the pillow something silver glinted in the field of her vision. She smiled when she realised that the silver object glinting in her field of vision was Emily's handcuffs. She reached out and grasped them as Emily kissed her collarbone.

Emily heard her handcuffs clink and smirked against the sensitive skin of the blonde's neck. Kissing a pathway from Ali's neck to her collarbone and back again. "Do you want to play cops and robbers or something babe?"

Alison giggled as Emily sucked on her pulse point before soothing it over with her tongue. "Nope, I was thinking more bad cop and innocent Ali."

Emily grinned as she made short work of Ali's top. Pulling it over her head to reveal a red lacy bra. It was like once she had looked at Ali's body she couldn't look away, she tried to commit everything about the blonde's sublime body to memory.

Alison's breasts were barely contained in the red lace as she pulled at the zipper on the blonde's jeans, Emily leaned back before she curled her hands around the waistband of the jeans and helped Alison wiggle out of them.

"You are perfect, Ali," Emily hummed happily as she leaned down to kiss Alison's toned stomach.

Alison arched her back as Emily's tongue trailed patterns over the skin of her stomach. "I take it you want your dessert now?"

Emily looked up through hooded eyes. "So this is really my dessert? I thought you were just teasing me earlier," she said as she curled her fingers around the tiny material strip of Ali's underwear. "You hadn't made dessert had you?"

"As if," Alison scoffed as she twitched her hips impatiently in the direction of Emily's mouth. Her eagerness was not because she'd never experienced it before, it was simply because Emily's mouth took her to the moon and back. Literally.

"You're not innocent you know?" Emily growled loving as she slowly pulled the underwear down over shapely hips. Alison could feel the heat of the brunette's breath against her center. "It's a crime to bribe a detective."

Alison just feigned mock surprise as she moved her hands to Emily's hair.

When Emily had discarded the blonde's underwear, her hands moved to her own shirt, unbuttoning each button slowly and knowing how impatient Alison was it was fun to take her time with it. She reached for the handcuffs before she shimmied out of her own jeans and crawled back on top of Alison.

Alison found it deliciously difficult to breathe as Emily placed a knee at either side of her, pinning her in place on the bed. Emily still had a small rectangular bandage on her lower abdomen but Alison tried not to take any notice of it. It wasn't important right now.

Emily reached for one of Alison's wrists and carefully placed the cuff around it, interlacing it with the metal bar of their headboard, she then pulled Alison's other wrist up to join it. "I told you it was a crime to bribe a detective, Ali." Emily grinned playfully as she snapped the cuffs closed.

The blonde only nodded as before she had a chance to say anything Emily's lips were on hers, biting down on her bottom lip with just enough force that Alison could feel the sting of pain and pleasure combine. Alison was pushed back against the bed, struggling in the handcuffs and overpowered by the desire to touch Emily's bare skin.

Alison moaned softly as Emily's lips traveled from her ear lobe and down to her neck, paying attention to her pulse point before the brunette soothed it with her tongue again. "Don't worry Ali, I'm willing to let you off because I love you," Emily's voice whispered against the sensitive skin where Ali's shoulder met her neck.

Emily moved down Ali's squirming body. She kissed between Ali's firm breasts that had been emphasised by the red lace. Emily kissed through the fabric before she pulled the material downwards and lowered her mouth onto one of Ali's nipples. Swirling her tongue around the bud before sucking gently.

The action caused Ali's back to rise off the bed again and she continued to struggle against the restraints. Her body was on fire as Emily's mouth continued to work expertly against her. "God," she moaned as Emily bit down on the new exposed flesh.

Emily continued to kiss down the soft skin of Ali's body. She sucked and nipped at clenched stomach muscles before she drew patterns with her tongues, settling down onto the bed as Ali's thighs fell open for her.

"Em," Alison breathed heavily as her hips twitched again. "Please." Emily looked up to find blue eyes staring down at her, the blonde's cheeks were rosy and her lips were parted as her arms reached above her head. It was the sexiest thing Emily had ever seen.

Emily grinned before she kissed over both thighs. She looked up once more at Alison before she let her tongue run along the length of the blonde's center. Being met with wet and warm flesh. It was fast and rough as her tongue circled Ali's clit, she missed the feeling of Ali's hands in her hair, it was usually the blonde's go to move when she was close to the edge.

Alison writhed and moaned as she felt Emily's tongue flick against her before a finger slipped into her easily, it was quickly followed by another and she did all she could to move herself against the brunette's fingers as she pulled against the handcuffs. She needed her hands free but they wouldn't budge so she did the next best thing and continued to rock her hips into Emily's thrusts.

Emily devoured her like nothing else mattered. Alison loved when Emily was like this; desperate and needy and hungry with the sole aim of leaving Alison a breathless and exhausted mess. Emily's tongue continued to move against her and she could do nothing as her stomach muscles clenched, calling out Emily's name as she reached her climax.

Emily smiled in delight before she lifted her head and shifted herself back up Ali's trembling body, reaching for the key to uncuff the blonde's wrists from their restraints. They pinged open with a metallic click and Alison wasted no time in grabbing a fistful of Emily's hair and drawing the brunette's mouth close to her own.

"You are incredible," Emily whispered roughly before she gave parted lips a forceful kiss, knowing that Alison loved to taste herself on Emily's tongue. "And I love you, Ali."

"I love you too, Em," Alison gasped before she rolled them over, careful to avoid the bandage on Emily's stomach.

_- x -_

"_I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me… I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me…"_ Emily sang over the television as she slumped onto the couch with her toast and first coffee of the day.

Alison had left for work earlier in the morning and Emily could only vaguely remember the blonde kissing her on the lips before she left. She smiled at the thought before she grimaced at the screen in front of her. The TV showed a picture of Jessica. '_Day Twenty Four' _was the screaming headline of the news. The anchors were talking at length about her.

It was the mug shot from over a year ago when they had finally caught her, or, when she had finally given herself up to save Emily's life. Jessica was wearing the same clothes she'd had on in Emily's final memories of the basement. When she'd held Emily and stroked her hand, when Emily had thought that she was finally dying and being happy that Jessica was letting her. Thankful even.

Her dark brown hair was swept back into a smooth pony tail and Emily couldn't see a single hair out of place. No one could deny it; Jessica took a stunning mug shot. They press had always loved Jessica. She'd made headlines all over the place but they were getting in a frenzy like never before over her right now.

Alison had heard a rumour in the _Herald _office building that a company was going to start doing a tour bus with Jessica's burial grounds as the attraction. The worst thing was that Emily knew people would go to it if it ever materialised. She had visions of a huge bus with Jessica's face plastered across the side of it. There were even trashy magazines that were suggesting Jessica was innocent.

The knock at the door startled her. She turned to grab her gun and cursed when she realised that it was still on the kitchen counter. She placed her plate delicately on the island and reached for her gun. She moved slowly to towards the door with the safety disengaged.

"Who is it?" she called. If it was Jessica she would answer, Emily was sure of that. There was nothing but silence and the noise of her heart beating loudly in her ears. "Hello?" she called out again, louder this time.

She had a blue hoodie on and sweatpants and she could feel herself vibrating inside the clothing. She thought it was the adrenaline at first. But then she felt it again and realised that it wasn't adrenaline, it wasn't even her, it was coming from the outside of her door. She raised her weapon and turned the key silently in the lock.

She pulled the door open quickly with her weapon drawn and found nothing but fresh air until she looked down onto the carpet. It was a phone. An old Blackberry phone that was currently vibrating near her feet. She lowered her body but kept her gun aimed upwards as she picked up the small black object.

There was one solitary text message flashing on it. '_Sweetheart,' _it read._ 'Do you feel better yet?' _

Emily's whole body stiffened. Jessica.

She slammed the door shut and locked it again before she looked down at the phone in her hand again. She reread the text several times in her head and out loud. '_Sweetheart, do you feel better yet?' _

Emily put her head in her hands. Over a year had passed and her ribs still ached dully from where Jessica had broken them. They probably always would in the cold weather, that's what the doctor had told her anyway.

She moved her hand into her hoodie, over her left breast and felt the love heart scar there and then she tucked her hand under her hoodie and felt the freshest scar on her lower abdomen. Not even a month old yet and still tender to the touch. She still had a fucking bandage on it.

Emily debated calling Alison but she knew that it would just worry the blonde and she'd leave her office and come home. Emily couldn't risk that after what had happened the last time. She'd call Toby and tell him to send an officer over to watch Ali's office discreetly until the blonde had arrived home safely.

She looked at the phone again and found her fingers moving over the keypad. '_Where are you?'_ She hit send and waited.

She knew only she'd ever be able to catch Jessica and she knew that Jessica would only ever allow Emily to catch her. It was an epic game of cat and mouse and eventually there would have to be only one winner. Emily made a promise to herself then and there that she would be the winner. This fucked up game they were playing had to come to an end one way or another.

She looked back down at the phone but there was nothing on the screen and then it vibrated again. '_These past few weeks have been miserable for me. I've missed you chasing me, sweetheart. How about you?'_

Emily stared at the phone, considering how to reply to the message. A hundred statements ran through her mind. She needed to show Jessica that she was in control of their game this time.

Emily typed, '_I will catch you again. We both know I will, Jessica.' _She hit the send button.

Emily looked through the phone, it was completely empty. The only thing that was right was the time and date. There were no pictures or contacts or recent calls. There was nothing. Then the phone vibrated again.

'_Knock, knock. Who's there?'_

Emily looked at the words on the screen and then slowly burled in the direction of the door. Jessica was in Emily's apartment building. She was somewhere close by right now. She put the phone in her sweatpants pocket and took a step towards her apartment door, her gun back out in front of her body.

"Jessica?" she called. There was no response.

Emily extended her arm, fumbled with the key and carefully turned the lock. Then she folded her hand around the handle and took a deep breath, fully expecting to find Jessica smiling at her wickedly from the outside. She pushed the door open but there was still no one on the other side.

She turned her head slowly, left and then right. The corridor on her floor was empty and she couldn't hear anything apart from the faint buzz of the traffic from outside her window. She reached up and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was sweating.

She pulled the phone out of her pocket and looked at it but there was nothing on the screen again. There was no vibration and no new text message. If Emily was going to find her she was going to have to be smart about it. Usually it was Jessica who was always one step ahead.

She took a small step out into the corridor and done a three hundred and sixty degree turn in it. There was no one around on her floor and there were still no other sounds apart from the traffic but as she stepped through her apartment door she couldn't shake of the unsettling feeling that she was being watched.

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><p><em>Thank you for all the lovely comments they are awesome seriously! If you want you can follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93 or on Tumblr, my url is amusingbutconfusingg<em>


	28. Closer To The Edge

_As always, thank you for the kind reviews etc they are awesome to read and they really do make me want to update quicker. A lot of you were pretty happy to see Jessica wasn't gone for long and how could she be really? I love how much you guys like her haha, it's crazy good and sorry Emison comes a little short in this chapter. Anyway, leave me a review if you wish!_

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><p>Jessica's photograph adorned the front page of nearly every single newspaper on display outside the hospital's mini store. Emily picked up a copy of the <em>Herald<em>, it was Ali's byline and she'd already read it earlier in the day but she lifted it anyway.

_Day Number Thirty Five_ was the headline. Emily rifled through the pages again but, not surprisingly, there was nothing she'd missed the first time around.

Emily closed the paper and stared at the photograph on the first page again. It was the same mug shot that had been all over the TV and newspapers for weeks. Something caught Emily's eye inside the mini store and she turned around. Jessica's image multiplied.

She stepped inside and then made her way past the maternity balloons, the candy, the get well soon cards and the stuffed animals, then she walked past the grey haired woman who was sitting behind the cash counter next to a stand of small guardian angel plaques, watching the TV, and then she finally came to a halt in front of the magazine rack.

Nearly twenty different magazines were visible. They were all side-by-side in a neat little row. Almost every magazine had Jessica as it's front cover girl. This was becoming ridiculous, Emily thought to herself. Out of control actually.

The magazines promised stories of all of Jessica's crimes and updates on the manhunt. Some of the magazines suggested tips to women to help make their hair resemble Jessica's for Christmas. Cultural magazines questioned her impact on the criminal justice system. Entertainment magazines gushed about the potential for films and TV series.

But the magazine that caught Emily's eye was the one on the far right, at the very end of the row. It wasn't Jessica's face that made her stomach fold and acid rise in her throat. It was the huge bold lettered headline above it that read '_Innocent?'_

She opened the magazine and flicked through it. Pictures of Jessica laughed back at her. How could anyone think she was innocent? By the time she had scanned every magazine she had counted twenty-eight stories about Jessica.

The magazines were full of excuses for her. It wasn't Jessica's fault. She was coerced into doing they things. It was society. It was her parents, whoever they were, Emily didn't know. They were all to blame. It was their entire fault.

There were photographs of Emily in the stories too. Standing at crime scenes. Leaving the hospital the first time around. The press painted her as some kind of immortal hero. It made a better story, Emily guessed, than the truth. The details about their recent run in at the tunnels were largely fabricated.

Toby had managed to keep the majority of the details of how Emily had once again found herself at Jessica's mercy under wraps from the press. The correct details they did have in the press were sketchy at best. The blood in her veins throbbed at the new pink scar on her stomach.

Emily looked down at the photograph of Jessica in the fashion magazine. It had been taken when she was being led away from the courthouse. She'd had her head turned away, her wrists bound in cuffs, her hair loose and around her shoulders, her profile perfect.

Emily was in the midst of trying to understand why she'd had no more text messages from Jessica when the woman behind the counter interrupted her thoughts.

"If you're interested, we have the book about her." Emily turned around from her standing point. The woman was pointing to the book stand that sat by the front door, she'd waked straight past it when she had entered the store.

Emily saw herself then, standing in the middle of the hospital store, surrounded by opened magazines on the rack and in her hands about Jessica Jackson. The woman behind the counter, by some miracle, didn't recognise her or was pretending she didn't recognise Emily. That sounded more probable.

Emily closed the magazine and sat it back onto the shelf next to all the others. "I already have a copy of that book," Emily lied as she slid the last magazines back into place.

"You're her, aren't you?" The woman behind the counter tilted her head in the direction of the magazine display.

"No," Emily replied.

The woman nodded in Emily's direction. "You are. You're that detective. I recognise you."

She picked up one of the angel plaques in her and then held her palm out towards Emily. There was a small message scrawled on it in pretty script and Emily had to squint her eyes to read it properly. '_May your guardian angel watch over you.'_

She placed it in Emily's hand.

_- x -_

Alison sat glued to her computer in her office. She had a byline due at three. Copies of the paper were flying out of the shops quicker than they could write, the Jessica Jackson obsession had hit fever pitch. Alison wondered where Jessica was right at that second. Was she waiting for Emily again? Or her? It made Alison's fully body ache just thinking about it.

The thrill of the woman hunt had turned dreary for her, the only news she wanted to write about was Jessica being locked up again so her and Emily were safe. In the office building grim humour had set in. Someone had hung a photo of Jessica on the wall so they could all play darts on it.

"What did Jessica Jackson give Emily Fields for Valentine's Day?" The office intern asked. Clearly no one had told him about Alison's relationship with Emily, the blonde could feel the surge of anger starting in her toes. Ali couldn't even remember the intern's name. She just thought of him as the intern.

"Go away," Alison replied as she kept her eyes on the computer screen.

"Her heart," the intern said with a laugh. Alison looked up from her computer and glared at him. If looks could kill he would have been dead on her office floor.

"I'm forwarding the joke on," the intern said as he hovered at her office door.

"You do that," Alison said.

Just as the intern was about to speak Donna Gomez waltzed over to the door where the intern still lingered. "You do realise Alison is in a relationship with Emily Fields don't you?" she asked.

Alison watched the interns face widen in shock before his mouth moved but no words came out. He tried again. "I… I didn't know I'm sorry," he mumbled as his face grew hotter, a red heat spread up from his neck and over his cheeks.

"That's what I thought," Donna said. "Now bolt before I kick your ass right out of this place."

Alison smiled up at her mentor as the intern, happy of his reprieve, skittered out of view. "Thank you, I never remember that guys name but now I know why. It's because he's an asshole."

Alison went back to cramming her story into thirty-four inches of newspaper space. Advertising was tight and everyone wanted their input about Jessica. She scrolled through her messages and found the number of the phone that had text Emily. She'd found zero hits anywhere online.

Alison looked up to see Parker, her editor, leaning his frame against the doorjamb. He ran his hand through his hair to make sure there were none out of place, a habit that annoyed Alison to no end. He had a stack of envelopes in his hand. There were editors who didn't bother you until the story was due and then there were editors who hovered. Parker was like a Maverick helicopter.

"I want the thirty four inches on Jessica in the next hour," he said, his hand playing with a loose hair.

"What does it look like I'm doing now?"

Parker craned his neck and looked over Ali's shoulder. "You're the best lead we have there's no doubt about that but don't lose yourself in the detective," he said pointing at the screen. "This is about you not her. Most people only get thirty inches to work with and you have thirty-four. Four inches is a lot in our business so make sure you use it."

Alison smiled sweetly at the screen, not bothering to look over her shoulder at him. "You'd know all about making the most of four inches," she muttered to herself, although she knew he could hear what she was saying.

Parker pulled back from her desk. "I like to see you typing not talking to me like that."

A stack of envelopes hit her desk and Parker grinned at her. "You have mail."

Alison looked down at the bundle of envelopes – some were obviously press releases, some were white envelopes with little old lady handwriting written across them, and one was bright red and looked like it could be some sort of card.

"You went through my mail box?"

Parker shrugged at her. "I was checking my mail box and our boxes are right next to each other, so I thought I would save you the hassle of the trip since you're trying to get your story out."

Alison threw a look at the heap of envelopes. "Thanks I guess," she said as she placed the envelopes in a grey metal tray on her desk.

Parker frowned at her. "You need to reply to your readers," he stated. "It's part of the job especially now you're a little hot shot with fans."

"Well I would reply to my readers but there's an ass in my office and I'm on a deadline," Alison countered, nonplussed, as her fingers went back to the keyboard at her computer.

"Touché, Alison," Parker said as he held his hands up. "I look forward to reading your article," he added as he left her office and walked into the one next door to hers.

When Parker had shut the door to his office, Alison looked back down at the red envelope, something about it nagged her and made her gut twist in her stomach. A bad feeling that she couldn't shake after seeing it for the first time on her desk.

It wasn't like the others. It was blood red and the writing on the front was all loops and curves, like someone had taken great care when writing her name across the front of it.

There was no postmark on it - which meant that it hadn't come through the mail – someone had dropped it off at the office specifically for her. There was no return address on it either. No name. Curiosity got the better of her and she worked her finger under the envelope and along the glue line until she could feel the card.

The card looked old, as if it had been bought a few years previous but had never been sent. A white ribbon connected two red hearts; a Robin sat on top of one of the hearts. Below the hearts was another white ribbon with the words '_To The Both Of You At Christmas'_

Alison opened the card. Printed inside, in the same pretty, cursive writing was a message. '_Warm wishes to the both of you at Christmas – Jessica.' _

She could get to them anywhere. It was just a matter of time before she came back, Alison could feel it. She leaned into her purse and pulled out her phone, she clicked Emily's name and willed the brunette to answer. Relief flooded her when Emily picked up on the third ring.

_- x -_

"You both need to be careful," Hanna said as she stabbed a piece of pasta with her fork. Spencer looked at her disapprovingly before shaking her head gently.

"You sound like Toby," Emily replied quietly as she glanced at Spencer. "It's not as if we both walk around with our eyes shut trying to bump into her on the street."

Alison shivered against her seat in the restaurant they were all currently at. "She's a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode and knowing her we will be the collateral damage."

Emily felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and there was that feeling again, that she was being watched. She glanced around the restaurant floor. Minutes ago she had felt that they were alone. Just the five of them at their table.

She was being stupid. If Jessica were keeping an eye on her, she'd be doing it from outside the restaurant, not inside where everyone would recognise her. Not inside where there would be a hysterical breakdown from virtually everyone in the place.

"And you've still heard nothing from her?" Spencer asked as she sipped on her water.

Emily turned her head back around to her best friend who was sitting in between Aria and Hanna. She shook her head, "nope not a thing, the number she text from is non existent now, it was obviously a pre paid phone she used."

Hanna's fork clinked against the plate as she finally finished. "I don't get why she sat the phone on your doorstep though."

"To prove that she could still get to me," Emily answered before she glanced over her shoulder again, she couldn't shake the feeling that the very person they were talking about was watching them.

"Are you okay?" Alison asked gently as she saw the concerned expression on the brunette's face.

Emily leaned down towards her glass of water and brought the glass to her mouth, as if to take a drink. Instead she whispered to the rest of the group. "I think we should get out of here."

Hanna and Alison winced in her direction. Emily took a gulp of cold water and then pulled her head back, her expression neutral, and her hand on Alison's jean clad thigh. Spencer looked at her, eyebrows lifted. Then slowly she rotated her head at the other people in the restaurant.

Hanna kept her eyes trained on Emily as if they were having a silent conversation; the blonde nodded her head ever so slightly in understanding. Aria was quickly catching on.

Other people might think Emily was deluded or paranoid but the people currently at the table knew exactly what Jessica was capable of. Alison's gaze finally returned to Emily's and the brunette could see a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

"We should all go home," Emily said.

Her phone that was sitting next to her glass of water began to ring. Emily looked down at the phone but the called ID was listed as _unknown_, she glanced at the others before she clicked accept and pressed the phone to her ear.

Emily listened to it for a long moment as she felt the stare of the others on her. She listened for any hint of sound, an involuntary sigh or the sound of someone swallowing but there was nothing. Only hot air. She could just hang up but she didn't.

Then Emily heard her breathe out heavily like she had been holding her breath while waiting for Emily to answer. "Sweetheart," she said. "I've missed you."

"I've been here the whole time, but you already knew that," Emily remarked.

"I've heard it's a lovely meal in there, are you having fun with your friends?" Jessica asked.

It was a game to her, like playing fetch with a dog. A dog that wouldn't return the ball. She was putting Emily through the motions, making sure that Emily knew she was still there in the background. Watching. Waiting.

"I'm giving you one more chance to hand yourself in Jessica." Emily heard Alison exhale next to her and squeezed the blonde's thigh between her hand. Alison's hand covered her own.

There was a brief pause on the line. "Or what, Emily?"

Emily gritted her teeth, and her fingers tightened around the phone to the point of pain. "I'm coming for you and I will find you."

"Oh lucky me, I can't wait, Emily. You know how much I love you when you are in action," Jessica joked playfully.

She hung up and Emily rested the phone against her shoulder. Their table was eerily quiet.

_- x -_

Emily sat bolt upright in bed to the sound of screaming. She turned on the light, took a couple of deep breaths, and tried to organise her thoughts quickly. It was still pitch black outside and Alison continued to quiver against her. A foot collided, painfully, with Emily's shin and she had to hold back a groan.

"Ali," she prodded gently at the blonde's shoulder. "Ali," she repeated firmer this time, "it's Emily, you're okay."

She put her hand on Alison's upper arm and squeezed tightly, she watched as sleepy blue eyes finally flickered open to meet hers. "It's just a nightmare babe," she helped Alison into a sitting position and felt the sweat on the back of the blonde's bed time t-shirt.

Alison looked at her before she blinked. The expression on the blonde's face made Emily's stomach drop. "You're okay, Ali. It's just a nightmare," Emily soothed. "I will get you a new t-shirt, you can't stay in this one. It's just a dream babe, I promise."

"No," Alison croaked, her voice still full of sleep.

Since their time in the tunnels, night times were generally made up of a few nights full sleep punctuated by recurring nightmares every other night. Only it wasn't Emily having them, it was Alison. On more than one occasion Emily had internally berated herself for bringing Alison into this world of hers.

"No?" Emily questioned. "It's no problem, Ali."

Alison shook her head, she could feel the beads of sweat forming at the base of her neck before they slipped down her back. "No," she repeated before she peeled the t-shirt off her body. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Alison tilted her head as Emily copied her and pulled her t-shirt over her head. "What are you doing?"

"Well you can't be half naked by yourself can you?" Emily teased and then she smiled when Alison gave her a half smile back. She leaned over and switched the light off before she lay back. "Come here, Ali," Emily murmured softly and opened her arms up.

She wrapped her arms around the blonde's body as Alison settled against her and she could feel their skin sticking together. The blonde's head nestled against her chest. "These dreams will pass, trust me," she said as she kissed Alison's hair. "I know they are scary but they will pass."

She felt Alison adjust against her, the blonde's own arm wrapping tightly around Emily's midsection so they were pressed completely together. Emily could feel Ali's warm breath against her breast when she spoke.

"I just want her to appear, Em. I hate living in a world where I'm waiting on her to appear. I jump at every little thing and I hate it," Alison mumbled quietly against Emily's tan skin. "I hate it for us."

Emily ran her fingers through the length of Alison's blonde hair. "She will appear, I know she will. This will end one way or another."

"Did Toby get anything from the unknown number from earlier tonight?"

"No," Emily answered.

She'd stayed up late while Ali went to bed in case anything had happened but nothing had. It was another dead end. Jessica was too clever for them and the frustration Emily was feeling was about to boil over. She was convinced that if Jessica were in front of her she'd shoot her without any hesitation.

"You need to sleep, Ali," Emily soothed as her fingers continued to play with Ali's hair. "You have work in the morning."

"I know," Alison murmured, the feeling of Emily's fingers in her hair was enough for her to welcome the darkness of sleep. She could hear Emily's heartbeat underneath her ear and that was comfort enough as she drifted off into the oblivious.

Emily continued to play with the blonde's hair as Ali's breathing eventually shallowed out and signalled that she was finally asleep. Lying there with nothing but a guilty weight in the bottom of her stomach, Emily heard Alison sigh softy against her.

A short while later Emily winced as Alison's elbow unknowingly pressed up against the tender skin around her recent wound. The pain made her heart feel swollen as it thumped loudly under her ribcage.

She looked down at Alison three times and opened her mouth to speak so the blonde would move but her heart was constricting her air passages and each time she merely took a deep breath and tried to push the pain to the back of her mind.

It was her fault Alison couldn't sleep without nightmares in the first place so the least she could do was let the blonde sleep, even if it did cause her some discomfort. She smiled into the darkness when Ali's elbow moved a moment later like she had been reading Emily's mind.

"I love you, Ali," Emily whispered into blonde hair. "I hope you know that."

There was a brief pause before Alison replied, much to Emily's surprise. "I know and I love you too, baby."

_- x -_

Alison's dreams hadn't been interrupted after she'd gone to sleep against Emily's chest. Before Emily, she'd always found sleeping next to someone rather claustrophobic.

There was always and arm or a leg where it shouldn't be and she could never get as comfy as she wanted to but with Emily it wasn't like that. It was like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. It made sense. They made sense to Alison.

Alison found Emily on the couch in their apartment, a closed copy of this morning's _Herald _was on the brunette's lap. Despite knowing Emily loved her, Alison always felt a stirring of delight when she saw her girlfriend reading her work. It made her feel a little ridiculous. Why did she feel like such a teenager?

"Good morning," Emily said as Alison slouched down onto the couch next to her. "You look tired."

Ali narrowed her eyes. "Jee. Thanks."

Emily laughed softly as she put her arm around Ali's shoulders. "No, not like that," she leaned over and kissed the blonde gently on the lips. "You're just usually up as soon as your alarm goes off. I heard you hit snooze like three times."

"Why are you up this early anyway? You don't even have work today?" Alison asked and she felt Emily stiffen slightly against her.

"Unknown number called me this morning," Emily replied honestly.

"Was it her?"

Emily shrugged although deep down in herself she knew that it was Jessica. "It wouldn't surprise me if it was her. Hell of a coincidence if it wasn't."

"I hate her you know?"

"I know babe," Emily replied. "I know."

By the time Alison had showered and gotten dressed the rain outside lashed against the window. "This day can't get any worse and it's not even eight thirty yet," she grumbled as she took another spoonful of cereal at the kitchen counter, Emily was behind her at the toaster.

"It's nearly Christmas time though," Emily said cheerily. "Only a week away."

"Yeah that's true I guess," Alison agreed, "and I only have two days left of work before my Christmas holidays. We really need to put decorations up in here."

She felt Emily's arms wrap around her waist and despite her awful mood she found herself smiling. "Well how about we put the decorations up tonight when you get home?" Emily asked, settling her head against Ali's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Ali replied, "but I do have to go to work so I will call you later," she added before she turned in Emily's arms and kissed the brunette, running her hand through the Emily's hair as she did.

"I love you," Alison called as she reached the door.

"I love you too," Emily shouted before she went back to making her toast.

When Alison left the apartment building the rain was relentless. It was the kind of rain that got in your eyes and rolled down your cheeks, so everyone looked like they had been crying for hours.

"Super, this is just what I need," Alison muttered irritably to herself as she crossed the road towards her car with her purse above her head in an attempt to stop her hair from getting wet.

She was unaware of the brunette standing at the corner of the street watching her.

_- x -_

Emily held the brass pillbox in her hand, feeling the weight of it in her palm. After Hanna had given her it as a gift after she left hospital she had carried it around with her for months and pulled Vicodin after Vicodin from it. It had been the first thing she reached for when she woke up and the last thing she held in her hand at night.

Now it was completely empty of everything, there were no pills in it. It was just an antique from her life pre Alison. She looked at it for a few more seconds before she opened the bathroom cabinet door and set it inside on the shelf, then she climbed into the bath and turned the overhead shower on.

Emily stood in the shower, eyes closed, letting the hot water run down her back and front. She turned up the hot water and stayed like that for another few moments, until her skin pinked and the steam was thick enough that she could hardly breathe, and then she opened her eyes and took a step out of the shower stream.

She pulled at the shower curtain so some fresh air could get in. She looked down and examined the wound on her stomach. The bullet had left a vicious looking scar on her skin. It was still bruised around it too. She picked at a little bit of skin and it started to bleed, sending a small red streak down the lower half of her stomach and thigh.

After she had washed her hair Emily leaned forward and turned off the hot water. The wound on her stomach, although it had nearly completely healed and scarred over, throbbed. Since Alison had leaned against it last night by mistake it had began to throb every now and then.

Emily climbed out of the bath, dried off, and then wrapped a towel around her midsection. She smiled when she looked up at the mirror, in the condensation she could see a small message written on the mirror.

She recognised Ali's writing, even using her finger on the mirror, the blonde's writing was beautiful. It was small things like this that made Emily realise just how much she was in love with Alison.

And it was no disrespect to Paige because Emily had loved her at one point but never like this. It had never been this intense. Alison was the missing puzzle piece that Emily had finally, finally found. She smiled before she crossed the hall into their bedroom.

After getting dressed, she tied her damp hair up before she crossed the hallway into the bathroom to pick up her watch that she had left on the back of the sink. Emily was walking down the hallway towards the kitchen and living room to put coffee on when she heard her voice.

"Did you have a nice shower?" Jessica asked. "I didn't want to interrupt you."

Emily walked a few more steps before she saw Jessica sitting in the black leather chair that sat across from the couch. Despite the weather outside, she was wearing a black sleeveless cotton dress and her bare legs were crossed. Emily had seen her so many times and yet it still took a minute for it to sink in that she was really back in Emily's apartment.

Emily wished that she could take that part of herself – the part of herself that remembered Jessica so well, that was connected to Jessica – and cut it out and bury it forever so she would never need to remember it again.

She shook her head in Jessica's direction before her eyes darted, quickly, to the kitchen counter. Then she remembered that her gun sat in her bedroom, it was no use to her in here, and she'd never make it if she tried to make a run for it.

"I should have let you get the death penalty," Emily said.

Jessica laughed. "I bet you don't mean that deep down. Did you like the Christmas card? I don't see it sitting next to your others," she commented as she pointed to the stack of Christmas cards that sat along the window of her and Ali's apartment.

"There was no reason was there?" Emily said calmly. "I keep thinking about a reason why you kept me alive, some humanity in you but there was no reason. I'm glad you kept me alive though, Jessica. If you didn't I wouldn't have Alison."

Emily could see the other brunette's nostrils flare, her green eyes flashed and then just as quickly it was gone, Jessica brows creased thoughtfully. "Maybe it really was love. Maybe that's why I kept you alive."

Emily smiled. She beckoned Jessica over with her finger. "I want to show you something, Jessica."

She didn't hesitate. Jessica stood and walked over to where Emily was standing, she was wearing high heels and her hips swung as she walked. When she was a few steps away, Emily pulled up her t-shirt, exposing the ugly scar on her abdomen.

"You did this Jessica, you didn't pull the trigger but it was your doing."

Emily followed Jessica's eyes down to her stomach and she watched Jessica marvel happily at it. It was like she enjoyed every bit of damage that was inflicted on Emily, whether she did it or not didn't seem to matter to her.

Emily was taken aback when Jessica reached out and put her hand behind her head and pulled Emily's lips to her own. Emily kept her arms at her sides. Jessica kissed her, pushing her tongue into Emily's mouth and Emily felt nothing. She laughed as Jessica kissed her.

Jessica pulled back and smoothed her hair. Her lips flushed and parted. "Alison is really paying off isn't she?" she asked. "You didn't even try and kiss me back this time."

"Why are you here?"

Jessica smiled her Hollywood smile. "I came to see you, obviously. Being on the run is fun in a way but I miss the regularities in my life. Like seeing you once a week, sweetheart."

Emily sighed as she thought about the gun again, turning her head slightly to look at her bedroom door.

Jessica glanced past her shoulder. "Where is it?" she asked. "The gun you're currently thinking about using. Your bedroom? You'd never get there in time," she took a step forward and took one of Emily's hands in her own before she lifted it to her neck. "You could always use your hands, you know how much I love your hands on me."

Emily could feel the thumping of Jessica's pulse under her hands. "I'm not like you, Jessica. I'm not like you but you shouldn't be so confident that I won't do it."

Jessica smiled and turned away from her. "You're close sweetheart. But you won't do it, maybe I should turn my attention back to Alison again. That should push you over the edge and we will see how far I can really push you."

"Fuck you. Don't you ever dare touch her again."

Jessica lifted her finger to her chin. "There we go," she purred. "That's what you need. Some anger. Alison has taken away some of your edge, you're going soft Emily."

Jessica reached into her purse. "It's yours. I lifted it when I got here, I thought we might need it."

Emily picked up the gun from her hand and pointed it at Jessica. "I'm not going to kill you, I'm not like you. I am going to arrest you though."

Jessica smiled. "I will get out again and when I do I will kill Alison the next time I see her. Do you think I won't? Because I will, Emily. I daydream about it. I daydream about your reaction, I know how much she means to you."

Emily knew Jessica wasn't lying and that's why it had to end. "You will never get your hands on Alison again. That I can promise you."

"I'll do to her like I did to you, I might even give you matching scars. How poetic."

Emily fought it. She shook her head. "No," she said. "No." Jessica was trying to fuck with her. Trying to manipulate Emily into letting her go.

"You know I'm telling the truth, you know me better than anyone sweetheart, don't ever forget that. And you know exactly what I'm capable of. Alison wouldn't be too hard to break. I don't think she'd cope with the basement do – "

Emily pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><em>I can hear you all cursing me for this cliffhanger. I have to admit that this is my favourite cliffhanger so far simply because right now I am undecided what will happen with Jessica, it's an either or situation so yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts on it!<br>_


	29. Oh Lets Go Back To The Start

_I loved all your little theories about what was going to happen, they were very fun to read! Some of you were, of course, right. I just couldn't get rid of Jessica yet. I have an attachment to her haha. Sorry on the late update but I am back at uni and it's a very busy time with my Honours project etc and I need to do well in it. So updates will be pretty sporadic now but there's nothing I can do. I'm sure you will all understand! Thank you for reading as always and if you wish leave me a review. 1100 plus is amazing seriously._

* * *

><p><em>Jessica sneers as Toby makes his way into the interview room behind Emily. Emily can tell that Jessica is not impressed, it's written across the brunette's beautiful face. This isn't the agreement they have and Emily fine well knows it.<em>

_"We need to talk Jessica," Toby says sweetly. "These interviews have been unsupervised for too long now, so you're going to talk to me today."_

_Emily has told them that this won't work. She's told them that Jessica won't give Toby anything but she takes a seat across the table from the brunette anyway, it's a relief to not talk in this room for a change. Jessica looks at Emily for some sort of explanation but she keeps her mouth shut._

_"Me," Toby says, leaning over so he's the only person in Jessica's line of sight. "Not her. You and I need to have a little chat this Sunday."_

_"I would but I don't find you very interesting to talk to Detective Cavanaugh," Jessica replies sincerely._

_"Just give us the victims name and confession, Jessica." Emily states, cutting to the chase. She knows that Toby and Jessica will go around and around in circles like a couple of rabid territorial dogs all day if they have to. Sizing each other up and waiting for the right moment to strike.  
><em>

_Jessica doesn't move in her chair. "I'm not saying anything. This is not the agreement Emily, sweetheart."_

_Toby places a photo on the table between the three of them and points to the middle aged man's face. "Who killed him? Did you kill him or was it one of your little helpers?"_

_Jessica settles back in the plastic chair. Her reactions are razor sharp and there's a smug smirk on her lips. "You know Toby, I don't think that would be my place to speculate. It's your job to figure that out."_

_Toby hunches further across the table. His back muscles tighten against his shirt. "Humour me, Jessica. Have a guess."_

_A lock of loose dark hair falls in front of one of Jessica's bright green eyes. She looks over at Emily with the other one. "If I were to guess," she says in a mock whisper. "I would say that it was maybe me, but then again, maybe not. Who knows? Someone could have copied that love heart from my work."_

_Toby's lips press tightly together. He glances down at Emily who gives him a look that says 'if you strangle her right now she will win.' His fingers close into large fists. He is closer to Jessica, closer than Emily is anyway. The veins press against the skin of his throat. Bobbing at the surface with anger.  
><em>

_Jessica is Toby's weakness as much as Jessica is her own, Emily realises. Toby can always control his emotions, except when it comes to her. Emily wonders what bothers Toby the most – the fact that Jessica had almost killed Emily, or the fact that he didn't figure it out quick enough to stop her._

_"Tell me Jessica!" Toby bellows._

_Jessica doesn't flinch but she gives Toby a reproachful look before she shakes her head softly. She looks as regal as a Queen and Toby doesn't like that, Emily can see it in his face. Toby wants her beaten. Defeated. Locked in here forever.  
><em>

_"There are a lot of people out there killing," Jessica says serenely. "There are serial killers you don't have a clue about and ones you will never ever catch. They will die naturally surrounded by their family and no one will ever know the things they did. Maybe I should have taken that option but what would be the fun in that?"_

_"Did you kill the man in the photograph, Jessica?" Emily asks. Jessica finally turn her green eyes fully towards Emily._

_Jessica shrugs. "I can't remember."_

_Emily shakes her head stiffly. "That is bullshit, just tell us so we can get out of here."_

_"And why would I want that sweetheart? You know, you're starting to get a little fire back in your eyes again. These Sundays with me are helping you. If he leaves I will tell you everything you want to hear."_

_Emily shoots Toby an 'I told you so' look before he stalks out the room and Emily can feel the anger radiating off him. Jessica looks delighted with herself. She's played him like a fiddle and Emily knows it, Jessica does too.  
><em>

_"Yes," Jessica says. "I killed him. I feel kind of uncharitable when I don't take credit for my own work, you know what I mean?"_

_Emily wants her to look worse. She wants to look at Jessica and feel absolutely nothing. She wants to hurt Jessica in the same way she has been wounded and hurt. Physically and mentally.  
><em>

_"You are day dreaming of hurting me sweetheart aren't you?"_

_Emily chuckles to herself. "You're the expert on hurting people Jessica, not me," she says. "But if I was day dreaming about that then I was day dreaming about everything you taught me. We both know that you were the one who taught me everything I know about pain."  
><em>

_"One day you'll have the chance to hurt me back, Emily. One day. It'll be interesting to see if you take that chance sweetheart."_

* * *

><p>The hammer clicked and then fell harmlessly. The chamber was obviously empty.<p>

"Well, that was fun Emily, wasn't it?" Jessica said, her lips pursed together tightly. It looked like she was attempting to stop herself from grinning.

The knot in Emily's stomach tightened, her breath constricted and the rage flared deep inside of her. The voice in Emily's head screamed so loudly that she thought her throat might tear apart, and for a second she wanted to rush at Jessica and break her; to shatter that painfully beautiful face, to hurt her, to make Jessica feel some tiny part of the horror inside herself.

"Something wrong, Emily?"

Jessica was watching her as though expecting strange symptoms to appear between them at any moment. She rearranged her face hastily in an unconvincing smile. For the first time ever, Emily thought that Jessica looked a little frightened of her.

And then Emily snapped. She surged forward towards Jessica, tangled her fingers in the brunette's dark hair and pushed her against the wall. Jessica was laughing merrily at her and it done nothing but fuel the dark but empty rage inside of Emily.

She used her body as leverage against Jessica, pinning the other woman tightly against the brick wall. Jessica didn't struggle, she just looked at Emily. Her face reddened slightly and she gasped involuntarily against Emily's grasp. Her green eyes widened and Emily could see saliva at the corner of her mouth.

Emily could smell her. The sweet and subtle hints of her expensive perfume mixed in with Emily's own. Her black dress was torn at the shoulder where Emily had grabbed at it. Her hair was messy where Emily's fingers had just been. She didn't look so beautiful anymore.

Jessica's chest heaved and her back arched, pressing her breasts into Emily's body as she struggled against Emily's grip. Emily lifted her off her feet slightly, sliding her up the wall until they were face-to-face and almost nose to nose. Jessica's lips parted and her hands wrapped around Emily's wrists. Emily knew those hands.

It hadn't been the paramedics who had saved Emily in the basement, it had been Jessica. It hadn't been the paramedics who had told Alison to keep Emily warm to stop her temperature from tanking, it had been Jessica.

It was always, always Jessica. Emily hated her for that, and she pushed harder into the woman, feeling Jessica's body let go as she gripped the shoulder of the black dress tighter between her fingers.

The sensation of what she was doing to Jessica at that moment was so disorientating that Emily wanted to vomit. She could feel the acid bubbling in her stomach. She let Jessica drop to the floor and stumbled backwards away from her, rubbing her hands together and seeing the red lines on her palm where the dress had been gripped too tight.

Jessica lifted a hand to her shoulder and coughed, the redness drained quickly away from her face. There was sincere enjoyment in her green eyes when she looked back up in Emily's direction. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and she began to laugh gently.

"Don't worry, Emily," she said, flicking her amused stare to Emily's hands. "It happens to everyone at some point. There is always a snapping point."

Jessica smoothed her brown hair and took a step backwards, she turned on her heels and walked over and picked up her purse from the black leather couch. Then she walked over towards Emily and struck her with something hot below her ribcage. Again.

Her body jolted and muscles seized as she slumped down on to the floor. She choked with laughter as her muscles spasmed underneath her skin. Jessica had fucking tasered her.

"I better be going now," Jessica said warmly. She removed a Christmas card from her purse and placed it beside the others that Emily and Alison already had on display. "That looks better now, don't you think?" Jessica added as she smiled happily at her card.

Jessica knelt down on the floor, the smell and heat of her filled Emily's senses again. "Here is something to remember me by Emily," she said as she put something into Emily's hand. "Not that you would forget anyway but you always were fascinated about my past. Our story will end one day but it has to start at the beginning first. I'd like you to hear about the beginning."

Emily continued to squirm and wriggle haphazardly as Jessica ran her fingernails up Emily's arm, up to her shoulder and then down her spine towards her tailbone and then Emily couldn't feel her anymore. She was simply gone.

The apartment door opened and then clicked closed. All Emily could hear now was silence.

Emily rolled onto her back. It took her several minutes to force her muscles to relax enough to open her claw shaped hand, revealing Jessica's parting gift to her – a picture that Emily didn't recoginise. She reflexively pulled her hand back and the picture fell from her palm and onto the wooden floor.

She struggled to her feet and backed away from the strange photo, looking down at her hands as if what she had done to Jessica had just burned through her skin. Then she turned, stumbled over to the window, and looked down. There was Jessica, in plain sight of everyone and no one, as she crossed the street and disappeared out of view around the corner.

Emily leaned her head against the window pane, caught her breath and then walked slowly towards the bathroom. She rubbed her hands together under the tap with the water was as hot as she could stand it. She didn't really know what she was hoping to achieve but she wanted to rub any remnants of Jessica away down the drain.

Emily was calmer now, her heart rate had slowed to the point where it didn't feel like it was about to burst out of her chest and explode. She pulled up her t-shirt and saw two red bite marks where the taser had made contact with her skin. A purple bruise would soon appear too. It was already forming.

She turned off the hot water and dried her hands on the spare towel, by the time she was done she had stopped shaking. She went back out into the living room and picked up the empty gun from the floor. It was lightweight in her hand.

She moved into her bedroom and opened the drawer on her bed side table. The bullets Jessica had removed rolled to the front, clinking together before they came to rest against the wood. Emily loaded the gun and sat a handful of extra bullets on the table. An empty orange Vicodin box lay in the drawer too. _You don't need them anymore,_ Emily reminded herself with a grimace.

She turned the gun away so it was facing towards the bedroom door. She was never going to let Jessica catch her unarmed again.

And then her thoughts went back to the picture that Jessica had left her with, she hadn't picked it up yet. Emily felt a deep tickle inside her mind, as if her brain cells were standing up on their tip toes and waving their arms back and forth, trying to get her attention. She closed her eyes and the light bulb inside her head went off. She hurried out of the bedroom and back towards the living room.

- x -

Cigarette's never smelled good in the cold air. For Alison, they never smelled good in any air. There was something counter intuitive about sucking down warm smoke that was going to wreck your lungs with toxins and whatever else was in them. It was like drinking a cup coffee while in a sauna. Pointless.

However, that didn't stop Donna Gomez. They sat in Donna's sleek ocean blue coloured Audi, Donna had one hand hanging out the open window with a cigarette while Alison pulled her jacket closer to give her more body heat. The rain from earlier in the morning had now turned into sleet. Drops of it were flying around inside the car. Spattering the leather seat covers.

"So," Donna said as she took an exaggerated draw of her cigarette. "Has she reappeared yet?"

Alison closed her eyes and sank her head back against the headrest. "Nope, it's like living on tenterhooks. She will though, she always does for Emily."

There was a long pause as Donna flicked the finished cigarette butt out of the window and onto the wet ground of the parking lot. Finally, Donna said, "you can tell me about it kid, you know that."

"She's fascinated by Emily," Alison said before she pondered her statement, "okay, maybe that's the wrong word it's more like she is obsessed. You know when a kid gets a toy and they play with it over and over and over and never get bored of it? Well it's like that, only Emily is an actual person and not a toy."

Donna looked at Ali sternly, the way Ali's own mother would. "You know these things generally end badly, Alison? I've never heard a positive story about a crazed, deranged but beautiful serial killer and a Detective."

Alison took a long shaky breath. "I know, I've thought about that too. Emily's even mentioned it. It won't end well, but as long as she is not around, I don't care what happens to her." The blonde squinted slightly at her brutally honest words.

"Do you think Emily would kill Jessica if she needed to?" Donna asked curiously.

There was a pause as Alison glanced at the clock on the Audi's dashboard. It was just after twelve thirty in the afternoon. She could be back in their apartment within an hour if she really wanted to be. Then she mentally kicked herself because she still had a lot of work to do in the afternoon.

"I don't think she would want to because she's just not that kind of person but… yeah I think if Emily had to then she would do it. It's part of her job description isn't it?"

There was another pause that was just long enough for Alison to realise that Donna was thinking that was what was going to happen. "It is," Donna agreed with a nod, "but it's not part of your job description and you will do well to remember that Alison."

Alison glared in the older woman's direction. "Are you saying I shouldn't be with Emily? Because if you are then that is idiotic."

Donna shook her head quickly before she reached for her packet of cigarettes again. "No, I'm not saying that. I know she makes you very happy and I'm happy for you both, but I also know you and what you're like, so all I'm saying is don't let Jessica goad you into hurting her if it ever came to that. Let Emily handle it."

Alison turned her head and peered out of the window. The sleet had turned into thick flakes of snow but it refused to lie on the wet sidewalk. As soon as it touched the ground it turned into nothing.

"I will," Alison answered as Donna blew smoke back into the car.

Alison wondered which would get to her first – lung cancer from passive smoking or Jessica Jackson. She reckoned that the odds were about even right now.

- x -

"She did what?!" Alison barked harshly before she could even get her purse off and over her shoulder. "She was here?! Why didn't you call me?!"

Emily tilted her head. "Because I knew you would react like this and I didn't want to worry you at work. I know what you're like Ali. And I didn't want to worry you."

Alison stared at her in thunderous amazement and Emily could feel herself shrinking slightly smaller under the glare. "That's beyond stupid Emily. You should have called me straight away, what even happened?" she asked as she pressed on and took a seat on the couch across from Emily who was sat on the chair. "And just so you know, I'm so mad at you right now. So mad that if it wasn't as serious I wouldn't be talking to you.."

_Good to know_, Emily thought to herself before she wondered just how much she should tell Alison about her run in with Jessica. Should she tell her she had Jessica by the neck against the wall? Would Ali think bad of her? Would she understand? _Of course she will understand, Emily._

"I came out of the shower and she was sitting here, in this chair, she had stolen my gun from the drawer and needled me into taking it from her. She was talking about you and I snapped… I pulled the trigger but it was empty," Emily explained calmly. "And then… and then I lost it and pinned her against the wall. I didn't think I was going to let her go, the rage - "

"The rage is understandable babe," Ali finished the sentence for her. "You don't need to explain that to me, I would have done the same," Alison added truthfully. She had so much rage directed at Jessica that it nearly frightened her.

Emily stood up and lifted her t-shirt, the two small bite marks of the taser were swollen and bruised now. Alison leaned across and traced her fingers lightly across the skin, feeling the slight rise of the brunette's skin where the taser had made contact. She could feel goose bumps under her fingertips, she smiled softly that she had that affect on Emily.

"Then she tasered me to get away," Emily finished as she pointed down at her stomach. "She knew I'd pull the trigger, Ali. She left us a new Christmas card too but it's in the trash."

Alison didn't know what to say. She knew how well Jessica knew Emily and how well Emily knew Jessica. It was a relationship she would never be able to understand or get underneath. They had a bond that nobody could break, not even her. She could prod and prod at it but she'd never get through it, not properly anyway.

"She left me this too and said that before our story ends I need to know the beginning."

Emily cleared her throat before she placed the photo Jessica had left her on the table. It contained a woman standing next to a man, they were clearly married, and in between them stood two young girls in matching yellow summery sleeveless dresses.

One had blonde bobbed hair and wore the dress with the sort of pride little girls usually had when they got to wear a fancy dress, she was grinning gleefully at the camera. The other girl next to her was a little taller, dark haired and skinnier, the dress hung on her frame slightly and there was no trace of any smile on her face.

Alison peered at the photo that was currently upside down in her vision before she stood and crossed the short distance between her and Emily. She sat on Emily's knee, careful not to press against the freshly tasered skin or the scar that was still currently healing on the other side. She pressed a kiss onto the brunette's temple before she hunched over the photo again.

Alison gave the photo a long, hard look before she looked back down at Emily. Deep brown eyes stared back up at her. "You think the girl in the picture is Jessica?"

Emily nodded. She could hardly breathe. She had stared at the photo for nearly an hour when she had picked it up off the living room floor, when she had finally realised what the clue was. She had never been this close to Jessica, to who she really was before Emily knew her.

The first record of Jessica Jackson had been in 2002 when she had written a bad check in New York, she was nineteen at the time. Before that though there was nothing on her. No birth certificate or record. They had no idea where she had appeared from, who her family was, her age worked out to be thirty-one but Emily had no idea if that was really true. Emily didn't know if Jessica was even her real name.

Alison's finger hovered above the skinny brown haired girl in the photo. "If this is her, she has seriously changed. She doesn't look the same at all. You can't even see the colour of her eyes in this picture."

"I know the man," Emily stated, "not personally but I know of him and the woman too. She went missing thirteen years ago. Tom and Laura Mackintosh."

Ali's brow crinkled. "Do you think that they are Jessica's parents or something?"

Emily shook her head. "No. I Googled everything on them and they only had one daughter," Emily pointed to the happy blonde haired girl in the picture. "Her name was Stephanie but she passed away a few years ago in a car accident. Turn the photo over."

Alison handled the old photo carefully and gently as she turned it over. There was writing on the back of it. Black ink that spelled out the words _Lost Woods Resort. _Alison recognised the name of the place, it wasn't too far from their apartment.

Emily looked up at the blonde, she could see the wheels turning in Alison's head trying to put it all together. If she could she was a genius, Emily still didn't know what avenue this would lead her down. Finally, after Alison had stared at the photo of the family again she broke the silence.

"So how does Jessica, if that really is her, tie in with this family and this _Lost Woods Resort?" _

Emily smiled grimly. "That's what we are going to find out Ali, because if we do that then we are one step closer to finishing this story."

"I want you and her story to finish completely," Alison mumbled softly against Emily's hair.

Emily untangled her head from underneath Ali's chin and ignored the pain that was now throbbing in her stomach. "So do I," she admitted as she brought Ali's face towards her own and kissed the blonde completely.

* * *

><p><em>I actually thought I would finish this story in a few chapters however I think it's important that you guys see why Jessica is well Jessica haha. Think of it as the same kind of thing on PLL only it's not A we're finding out about it's her. For you guys who love Jessica I think you will love this little mini plot and for those who don't I think you will actually understand why Jessica is the way she is and it'll finally answer the massive question of why did Jessica really keep Emily alive.<em>

_If you wish you can follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93 I will follow you back or you can find me on Tumblr, my url is amusingbutconfusingg_


	30. What If?

_I hope you are all going to enjoy the next couple of chapters, they are going to be Jessica orientated just so everything gets wrapped up. So we are on the wind down to answering all the questions and seeing where it will leave Emison and Jessica! P.s the small police station in this chapter isn't from PLL but I needed one so it's a made up name just in case you think you've missed something on the show haha :). If you wish, and I love when you do, leave me a wee review! They are seriously appreciated beyond words!_

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><p>Emily woke early, wrapped up in Alison under the duvet. A sliver of sky was noticeable between the blinds; it was the fine, dark blue colour of watered down ink, somewhere between night and very early morning, and everything was silent apart from their slow, deep breathing.<p>

Emily glanced down at the dark shape next to her. Alison's left leg was thrown across the whole of her bottom half, the blonde's left arm followed suit over Emily's stomach, Ali's left hand was entangled with her own right hand. Emily kissed the blonde's hair as Ali stirred underneath her as if sensing Emily was awake.

"Shh," Emily mumbled as Alison restlessly turned on her side and faced out the window. "Sleep."

Emily waited a few seconds before deciding Ali was still asleep. She kissed the blonde's shoulder before she quietly pulled the duvet back and headed towards the kitchen. She wasn't entirely sure why she was awake so early but there was a dull bloom of butterflies in her stomach.

She flipped the photo over in her hand again as she sat down on the couch with her coffee.

- x -

"_And it's another sub zero day, the cold continues you sweep it's way right across the country." _The TV anchor sounded way too happy considering the crappy news that he was delivering. "_After this song, we've got an extensive road report so stay with us."_

The anchor's voice dissolved into the first notes of 'Winter Wonderland.'

Alison buried her face into the warm pillow and internally groaned at the thought of rolling out of a nice warm bed. The sound of the TV in the living room wasn't the most distracting thing anymore, it was the sound of Emily singing along as she made her way down the hallway towards the bedroom.

Lifting an eyelid, she blinked at the mocking, red digital display of the alarm clock that was kindly reminding her that she was up far too early. She turned and focused her attention on the space in the doorway where Emily would appear at any second. The smell of coffee was getting stronger now too.

"Morning," Alison muttered, untangling her legs from the fluffy red, festive quilt on the bed.

"Right back at you sunshine," Emily replied cheerily as she walked into the bedroom, to Ali's surprise the brunette didn't have any coffee with her. "Some of us have been up for a little while."

"Yeah and that's because some of you are silly," Alison muttered ungraciously as she stretched out under the duvet. Despite the cold outside she was still only wearing her black lacy underwear and matching bra from last night. She had a habit of only sleeping in her underwear with Emily.

"What did you just say?" Emily replied playfully as she crawled over the bed and onto Ali's side so that both of her knees were pinning Alison down onto the mattress after she had pulled the duvet back off the blonde.

"Hey! It's cold – "

Ali's sentence was cut off as Emily lowered her mouth onto smooth skin, sucking gently at the sensitive flesh on the blonde's neck. On the spot that Emily knew never failed to make Alison squirm delightfully underneath her.

By the time Alison had time to register what Emily was doing with her hands, her underwear and bra lay carelessly on the floor. Both items removed in two quick, sure motions.

"Looks like you're awake early this morning too," Emily whispered into the blonde's ear as she ran her fingers through slick heat.

_God Emily was good_, Alison thought to herself. The brunette kneaded Ali's breasts with delicate hands before she lowered her mouth and closed her lips around a nipple, Alison cried out in pleasure and Emily smiled against the blonde's skin as her tongue continued to swirl.

Emily's movements were quick. Sure. Long. Alison was panting, her breath fast and shallow as Emily's fingers moved in and out of her with ease. Her blood was coursing hot through her veins and her mind spun with images of desire. She was on the cusp of coming embarrassingly quickly and yet when Emily pushed into her again she didn't care.

Ali's fingernails dug into the muscles on Emily's shoulders as she felt her muscles begin to spasm. One rocking contraction after another as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She could feel the familiar shake deep in her stomach.

"Oh God – " she breathed out before Emily kissed her fully. Their tongues crashing together through animalistic want.

Emily held her tight, a strong hand gripping her waist, keeping their bodies pressed tightly together as Emily thrust her fingers again, quicker and quicker, causing Ali's breath to get lost somewhere on the way to her lungs and her mind to spin out of control again.

"Jesus," she whispered with her eyes closed as she felt Emily stiffen in her arms, the brunette's back muscles were strained and taut. When Alison opened her eyes Emily was staring at her, the brunette always did afterwards. Usually Alison didn't know whether to glow bright red or start round two.

"Damn you Emily," she said with a beaming grin on her face. "Damn you straight to hell for doing this to me so early in the morning you big tease."

"Too late," Emily said and laughed gently as she settled all of her weight on top of Ali's naked body. "I've already been there."

Alison let out a long sigh as she ran her fingers through Emily's hair. "I know babe, I know. Now I am too."

She giggled as she felt Emily pinch at her waist before she rolled them over and straddled the brunette.

- x -

"Remember what I said," Emily said gently as her and Alison stood outside the small St. Andrew's police station. "Play it cool in here and don't be too journalistic."

Emily had looked at the photo Jessica had left her until her eyes had blurred the night before. And then again, early this morning, she had stared and stared at it as if she expected it to move. She needed to get to the bottom of all this. Or, maybe she didn't. She wasn't quite sure yet.

But why was Jessica giving her this now? Jessica didn't do anything by accident. Emily made a deal with herself that if she couldn't dig anything useful up in a few hours then she'd let it go. She would chuck the photo away and go home with Alison to their festive apartment.

"I will," Alison replied as she rolled her eyes, "plus we are not here on official police business anyway. How have you even managed to get them to give you the file?"

"Oh please," Emily smiled. "Being me has it's privileges, Ali. I had to tell Hanna she couldn't come along too. I'm starting to think telling our friends about the photo and stuff was a bad idea."

They walked into the small police station and looked around before Emily pulled her badge out. "I'm expected."

- x -

Laura Mackintosh's missing person report was a massive let down. Emily scanned the report again, she could see Alison leaning over to look at it out the corner of her eye.

"Can I have a copy of this?" Emily asked.

Adele Dickson, the chief of police of the small St. Andrew's police force, looked over her computer at them. "I can send you the whole digital file," she said warmly. She had been more than helpful, looking out the file, letting them sit in her office and not asking too many awkward questions.

"You have all of your files digitalised? I'm impressed," Emily smiled.

Adele nodded her head and smiled back in Emily's direction. "Hey, we even have guns here too."

They were in Adele's office, which was double the size of Emily's and much more cheery, there was even a view in this place. The walls were papered with various stories about arrests the department had made and there were drawings by a group of kids who'd obviously had a tour of the place at one point.

Adele pulled a pen out of a Patriots mug on her desk and held it out to Emily with a sticky note, Emily scribbled down her email and handed it back over. She stuck it on the computer screen and Emily watched as Adele brought up a PDF of the report.

Often in small departments chiefs could wear any insignia they wanted, up to five stars on their collar if they chose to. Dickson only wore one. Emily liked that about her, she wondered, briefly, what it would be like to work in a small, quiet department like this.

"Have you read this?" Emily asked, her finger pointing to the missing person file.

Dickson clicked the mouse before she turned in Emily and Alison's direction. "Yes, as soon as I looked it out I read through it."

That's what Emily would have done too. "Any thoughts on it all?" Emily asked.

Dickson frowned and looked at the report. "Looks pretty average to me."

"That's what I was thinking too," Alison agreed.

Dickson put her elbows on her desk. The dark blue sleeves of her uniform were crisp and immaculate. The gold badge on the left of her shirt glinted in the office light. She had a cheery, smiley face. A happy face.

"The woman left her husband and daughter," she said. "This is a small force, even smaller back then, and my guess is the officers looked around a little bit and then decided that she had gone and didn't want to be found."

Behind Adele's head, taped to the wall under the window, was a plaque. '_The greater the challenge. The greater the response."  
><em>

Emily stood up and helped Alison to her feet. "Thank you for all your help," Emily said sincerely.

They maneuvered towards the office door before Emily turned back in Adele Dickson's direction. "Why haven't you asked me why I am here looking at this file in particular?"

Dickson was tapping away on the keyboard of her computer. "I know who you are Detective Fields," she said simply. She glanced over the screen at both of them again. "I can guess why you are here."

- x - _  
><em>  
>Mr Tom Mackintosh lived in a one story red brick house that gave the impression of rust. The garden was dead, the grass was crunchy with frost. Emily had barely stepped on the front door step when the barking erupted from inside the house.<p>

She heard a throaty voice from the other side of the door as it creaked open a little. "You the Detective who called?"

Emily looked at the shadow of the man in front of her. "I'm Detective Fields," Emily said. "And this is Alison DiLaurentis… she's my partner."

"Be wary of the dog," Tom said, ushering Emily and Alison inside the small house. "She tripped me up last year and broke my damn hip."

Emily stepped inside the house first, closely followed by the blonde. The dog, a black cocker Spaniel, eyed them both cautiously.

He was a small man, five foot nine at the most, although it was hard to tell because he was leaning heavily on a walking stick. Emily knew he was over seventy; there had been an eighteen-year age gap between him and Laura.

"Thank you for agreeing to talk to us Mr Mackintosh," Emily said politely.

He laughed, showing his false teeth that were gleaming. "Sure as hell wasn't doing anything else was I? May as well talk to you both to break up the monotony of my day."

The dog shuffled around their feet until they reached the living room, before he could sit down the dog had jumped into the chair. Tom made a whistle like noise and the dog lazily leapt off the chair and threw itself down on it's side on the floor.

"Damn dog takes my place every time I get up off that chair," Tom grumbled before he, finally, lowered himself onto the chair. "So, did you guys find the person who took my wife?"

"No," Emily said. "No, it is nothing like that but I do have a few questions for you if that's okay?"

His jaw set and his eyes glanced above Emily and Ali's head but then a second later his features had softened again. "Okay, what are the questions?"

"Can you tell me about the day your wife disappeared?" Emily asked.

"That was thirteen years ago," Tom said. "I told the police everything I knew back then. I can't remember anything new now." His eyes landed on the same spot above their head again.

Emily turned around and followed his gaze; there were half a dozen photographs on the wall. Studio baby pictures of his daughter. A picture of him and his wife on their wedding day. A few pictures of older generations and one that caught Emily's eye.

There was only one girl in a yellow dress in it this time though, standing next to her parents smiling, there was a shadow on the ground, clearly of the person taking the picture.

"She left me with a daughter and one less income," Tom said grudgingly. "I had to work extra hard for us after that day."

"Can you tell me about that day?" Emily asked.

He frowned and looked down at his hands, he wasn't wearing his wedding ring anymore. "She was going for a conference at work and was staying at a motel out of town. She said it was a dingy little thing when she called. That was the last I ever heard from her."

Something stirred in the back of Ali's mind, like something important was trying to grab her attention. But then it slipped away.

"Did she take anything with her?" Emily asked.

He snorted. "Just the damn car. They never found it."

"Anything else Mr Mackintosh?"

"No," he leaned over towards them. "But she did take ten thousand dollars from our joint bank account the morning she left for the motel."

That hadn't been in the missing person report.

"She did it from a local branch near the motel she was staying at. The Woods or something."

Alison's brain clicked into gear and then she remembered her conversation with Jessica before Emily had barged into the interview room. _'When I was eighteen I had an affair with a married woman. She was the first person I killed. I lured her to a dingy motel…'  
><em>  
>"Emily?" Alison whispered so quietly that Tom wouldn't hear her. "Em?"<p>

Emily gave Alison a tiny shake of her head before she turned back to Tom. This wasn't getting anywhere useful, she had to turn it up a level. "Did you and your wife ever foster or adopt any children?"

There was a flicker in his eyes as if he'd been punched in the face. "Yes, over twenty years ago. There was only ever one child though, my wife… she didn't want to foster again after Lily."

_Lily. _Emily's skin tingled. "Why?"

"Lily… she was a strange child. She never spoke to us the whole time she was here."

"Never?" Alison interjected.

Tom Mackintosh shook his head. "Not once. After two months my wife couldn't deal with it any longer. I wasn't happy about it, Lily was settled here I could tell. We were close to making a break through with her, my daughter especially. But…" His eyes drifted off again above their heads. "There was nothing I could do, the decision was made."

Emily nodded and ignored the excitement in her stomach. "Do you know where she came from? Any background on her?"

Tom shook his head, his eyebrows raised. "The authorities didn't know anything, she was found one morning when she was a baby. I don't even think Lily was her real name, that's just the name they gave her. I often wonder what she's up to now."

Emily thought it was best that he didn't know what his former foster child had been up to in the years succeeding the unsuccessful fostering. "Did you ever know anyone under the name Jessica Jackson?"

He laughed and pointed a finger at Emily. "I knew it," he said, shoving his finger in the air in triumph. "I recognised you. From the papers, thought this might have something to do with that. But no, I never knew anyone under that name."

"You've seen her picture though?" Alison asked. Everyone had seen her picture, no one could really avoid it.

Tom nodded. "Yes, she's been on the front of the paper lots of times. If I knew someone who looked like her I'd recognise them. Is my wife dead? Did Jessica kill her too?"

"I have no idea," Emily said truthfully as Alison shifted awkwardly next to her on the couch.

Emily really didn't. She didn't know what Jessica was playing at with this. Had Jessica killed her former foster mother? Or had she just sent Emily and Alison on a wild goose chase for the fun of it?

Emily stood and held her hand out to Alison. "We will let you get on with your day," she said, brushing a few dog hairs off her jeans. "We will let ourselves out, thank you for your time."

Emily was practically dragged out the front door as Alison surged forward quickly. Before Emily knew it she was standing next to her car with Alison in front of her.

"Jessica killed her, I know it." Alison said fervently.

"How do you know it? You know – "

"No you don't understand Em, that day I went to visit her when I didn't tell you...well she told me but I've only just managed to add it all up in my head. Jessica killed her old foster mother and was having an affair with her. Laura clearly didn't recognise her."

"But why?" Emily asked.

Alison shrugged. "I have no idea but she did. Maybe it's because they gave her up and Jessica knew it was Laura who was the driving forced behind it."

"Did you see his face about 'Lily'? I think he truly cared for her, if he didn't he wouldn't keep her picture in the living room. Things could have been so different for Jessica by the sounds of it."

Alison's brows furrowed in her head. "There wasn't a picture of her in his living room."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, there was, not explicitly but it was her. The one where their daughter was wearing the yellow dress, there was a shadow on the ground. Jessica was obviously the one taking the picture."

- x -

Emily instantly recognised the black BMW that was parked two spaces away from them in the parking lot of the _Lost Woods Resort. _They pulled up next to the black car. Hanna was leaning against the hood of it eating a toasted sandwich of some sort.

"Thought I might run into you guys here," she said with her mouth full as they got out the car. "I already talked to the manager." She swallowed and licked her fingers. "The woman who ran the place when Mackintosh disappeared died years ago. This guy now is pretty useless and he is creepy."

"What the hell are you doing here Hanna?" Emily asked as she closed the car door. Alison looked guiltily at her. "It's fine Ali, don't worry. I should have known she would prise it out of you."

The cars zoomed across the interstate next to the motel. On the other side of the road were train tracks and a few derelict buildings.

"Wow, some view this place has. Concrete and trains." Hanna said dryly. "Who would want to live here? How was the husband? Did he remember Jessica?"

Emily looked at her best friend and then to Alison and then back to Hanna again. "I'm sorry, are we partners now or something?"

Hanna smiled. "No, but we can be like Charlie's Angels. You know, I bet all of us dreamed of being in a Disney film when we were younger and now look at us. We are starring in a serial killer porn flick. No offence Ali."

Alison grimaced at the thought of Emily and Jessica together. "None taken," she said eventually as she snaked her hand around Emily's waist to draw the brunette closer.

They talked Hanna through everything that they had found out at Tom Mackintosh's house and then Alison relayed her conversation with Jessica in full. Emily had to pull the blonde into her more than once as she shivered in the cold.

"I don't get it," Alison said. "Why kill her and how did she manage to get Laura out of here without anyone seeing her?"

Emily heard it before she saw it. The train. The tracks ran all along the interstate and into the far distance. The tracks had built there before the interstate had been, it carried supplies and lumber. It was a lifeline years ago.

And then Emily remembered. A single conversation months and months ago on a Sunday.

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><p><em>"Sit down," Jessica says. "Please."<em>

_Emily doesn't want to argue about it so she does it this time, lowering herself painfully onto the white plastic chair in the interview room._

_"Don't be so dismal sweetheart," she says. "You caught me. You're Rosewood's new hero. You got exactly what you wanted Emily. To catch me."_

_A hero, Emily thinks to herself. She's been manipulated from the word go. She wonders if there's any good people left in the world. She sometimes wonders if humanity is even a real thing. The sharp pain in her ribs reminds her of the lack of humanity in Jessica.  
><em>

_"Name a case you want to close, a case that's important to you Emily."_

_Emily rolls her head backwards and stares at the ceiling, her body buzzes from the Vicodin. Various shapes appear as she blinks. She just wants to go home and tell everyone the truth. It's okay, Jessica had said when Emily was dying in her arms. And Emily had believed her. _

_Emily lowers her head and stares over Jessica's shoulder at the one way glass. Something good might as well come out of all of this mess for some of the families. They deserve the closure more than she does. That is why she is here in the first place anyway she argues with herself in her own head.  
><em>

_"Your first one," Emily says. "Your first victim."_

_There's a change in Jessica's face. A tiny movement in her eyebrows, a tiny furrow between them. Her mouth tightens to the point where it doesn't look as if it exists anymore._

_"She's a special one," Jessica says. "She will be a prize. I will tell you about her when I think you deserve to hear it."_

_Emily sits up a little. Jessica's face has gone back to it's cheerfully cold mask. But for a second, Emily has seen through her. The first one is important to Jessica too for some reason._

_"I will tell you this though, it was fascinating, Emily," Jessica says. "I took her apart, I didn't even notice when she had died. I was too busy. It's funny, but once I realised that she was gone I lost interest in her. It was just work after that. It took me hours to clean the motel room, number one by the way, and another three trips to get her out of there. All that baggage, I needed a decent transport line."_

* * *

><p>"The train," Emily said simply. "That's how she got rid of Laura Mackintosh without anyone seeing her."<p>

- x -

Alison looked ominously at the 'No Caller ID' on the screen. She knew who it would be, there was not one shred of doubt that it would be anyone except Jessica.

She glanced over her shoulder at Emily and Hanna who were both on the phone before she answered the call and pressed the phone to her ear. Emily was on the phone to Toby relaying all the information and attempting to track Lily the foster child, and Hanna was on the phone to Caleb telling him that she was in Charlie's Angels.

She listened to her voice. The soft, velvety voice of Jessica that would be charming enough to lure anyone in under false pretenses. The voice that _had_ lured men and women, obviously, under false illusions.

Alison could feel the chill spread outwards from her toes to the tip of her head and yet her skin burned hot as the words that Jessica said registered in her head and then the voice was gone. The phone line was simply empty and dead.

"Ali?" Emily called. The brunette watched as Ali's phone slid out of her hand and ironically into her purse. When Alison turned Emily wasn't sure what conversation had just taken place but she knew that whatever it was wasn't good. "What's wrong? Who was that?"

Alison shook her head gently and her mouth moved before any words fell out. "She says she has a child."

Emily's body went numb. She swallowed thickly and smiled and frowned at the same time as she tried to recover her voice that was seemingly lost to the new information. "No, that's impossible."

"She says her child is fourteen," Alison mumbled. "She didn't say whether it was a boy or a girl."

Emily had seen Jessica's medical records. Her tubes had been tied. The scars were old – really old. The doctor who ran through the notes with Emily had guessed that the surgery had been done when Jessica was in her late teens. Fourteen years ago Jessica would have been seventeen.

The sky was darkening and the traffic on the interstate next to the _Lost Woods Motel _looked pretty, a festive blurring of red and white lights.

"Impossible," Emily said definitively.

"What if it's not though?" Alison asked as Hanna's mouth hung open.

* * *

><p><em>BADABUM TOOSH! (That's supposed to be the noise of the end of a drum roll by the way hahaha). Cliffhanger for sure but it's something I have had planned for many chapters, since the convo between Ali and Jessica in the prison really. But at the same time this is Jessica so she could very well be lying! You will have to wait and see ;). Have a good daynight guys. If you want you can follow me on Twitter at Kirstenr93 or Tumblr my url is amusingbutconfusingg_


	31. Wings

_A little bit of a quicker update for you guys. I have a feeling some of you will love this chapter and others won't but that's the way it always goes isn't it? Haha. Like I said we are on the run down to this story finishing and this chapter goes a long way of tying a few things up. Most things really because we are so close to the end! Hopefully you will enjoy it though and if you wish leave me a review!_

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><p>"Mrs Laura Mackintosh," Jessica said softly, without any greeting, when she finally called Emily's phone. "She was the first person I killed but I'm sure Alison has already informed you of that information."<p>

Emily turned fully in the spot she was standing in. "You lived with her for two months, what did she do to you that had such an impact that you had to go back and kill her years later?" Emily asked.

Emily couldn't conceive it. This woman could not be a mother. "Did you think your tale about motherhood would make me pity you? You as a mother, now there is a berserk image."

Jessica was watching them from somewhere. Emily could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She was close by somewhere laughing at them. But the humour had left her voice when she spoke again. "My daughter's name was Emily too."

Emily's chest tightened as Jessica told her about how she had left her daughter on a doorstep and how her signature love heart mark had come after that significant moment in her life and then the phone went dead and they were still all standing in _The Lost Woods Resort_ parking lot. It most definitely wasn't a dream.

- x -

Emily studied the picture of the girl.

The windows were open and the cold night air had settled around the apartment. Emily stretched out and tried to find a more comfortable position on the floor. She finally settled her head on both of her hands and looked at the photo through heavy eyes.

The girls name was Ellie. But it hadn't been that fourteen years ago when her parent's had found her on their doorstep with a note attached to her. Her name had been Emily then but the note had told them to change it if they decided to keep her. They had no idea where the baby girl had come from. An unexpected yet, extremely, joyful surprise.

Emily knew where she had come from.

Emily unclipped the photograph from the adoption file and stared at it. She tried not to see what she had seen the first time she had looked at it. The intricate resemblance of her birth mother. The nose and jaw line were the same. The green eyes were almost identical. The physical evidence of Jessica and Ellie's genetic relationship was clear to Emily.

Emily pushed her t-shirt away and felt for the heart shaped scar on her chest. She traced it with her fingertips, wondering how the person who had given her it had managed to nurture a child for nine months before leaving the baby alone on a doorstep.

She got up off the floor and went into the bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"_There, it's a heart," _Jessica had said after carving her signature into Emily's skin. _"It's my heart for you."_

Despite the cold, Emily's brow was covered in sweat. The pink scarred flesh on her breast made her skin look a little uneven on that side. In the bright light of the bathroom she could see every nick and slice that Jessica had left on her.

The heart was significant. The mark on Emily's chest had been made by a scalpel, right handed, the left side of her chest over her own heart. She had never figured out why Jessica had picked a heart for her victims, it was a peculiar sign to carve into someone who was dying, but now she knew.

A locket in the shape of a love heart had been left with the baby on the doorstep. Jessica was simply replicating it because she didn't have the locket any more.

She had left it with her daughter fourteen years previously and she needed a substitute. The locket was important to her but Emily didn't know why or who it came from. She had a niggling feeling that it may have come from Tom Mackintosh but she didn't want to disturb him again.

Toby had tracked down a Jane Doe in another state that had arrived on a freight train thirteen years ago, by some miracle the morgue there still had the unknown remains. They were doing tests on it now but Emily knew in herself that it was Laura Mackintosh. They had finally found her and Tom would finally get some peace.

Emily looked back up at her reflection and thought for a minute. She padded into her bedroom and changed her t-shirt. She knew it was in her head but it felt like the fabric of the other t-shirt had made her scar ache. In her haste the photo of Jessica's daughter had blown onto the floor.

Emily started to bend down to pick the photograph up and then stopped. Her skin tingled. There was someone else in the apartment with her. Whether it was a noise that had given the person away or a shadow, Emily didn't really know. She just went from being alone to knowing that she wasn't alone anymore.

Emily's hand flew to the gun that was tucked underneath the waistband of her sweatpants. It was a reflex, like lifting your hand to catch your sneeze. She had unsnapped the safety by the time Emily realised that it was her. She was standing in the doorway, a plastic cup of coffee in her hand, watching Emily.

Alison tilted her head. "Easy babe," she said.

Emily took her hand off her gun. She tried to do it coolly like she hadn't almost shot her girlfriend square in the chest. She took a long, drawn out breath and ran her hand over her face.

"What are you doing here Ali? I told you to stay with Hanna, Spencer and Aria for the night while I tried to figure all of this out."

"In case you haven't noticed it's after six in the morning and we were all awake," Alison argued. "I knocked before I unlocked the door and I shouted to let you know it was me but you must not have heard me."

Emily looked out the north facing window of their bedroom. The sky was a soft dark pink. Her t-shirt that she had just taken off was strewn on the floor. The living room, she imagined, was a mess of papers. She'd spent half the night huddled over the papers and the other half asleep on the floor.

Ali's eyes grazed over the photo that Emily had been in the middle of picking up. "Do you believe it yet?"

Emily shook her head. "No and you shouldn't sneak up on people who have guns. Especially people like me."

Alison took a few steps before she was able to wrap her arm around Emily's waist, pressing her head against the brunette's chest. "Jessica's little project kept us all awake too." She looked up at Emily. "Did you sleep at all?"

Emily's hand tightened on Ali's hip. "On and off," she admitted.

She recognised that this wasn't normal. Their apartment was a torrent of papers. It was Emily's way of processing how she hadn't found out about Jessica's daughter before now. It annoyed her beyond reason.

"Here," Alison said as she held out the coffee, "I think you need this coffee more than me."

Emily peered skeptically down at the plastic cup before she took a tentative sip of the hot liquid, expecting to taste sweet sugar, but to her surprise the coffee was black and strong. She kept her nose close to it letting the strong aroma clear her senses.

"This was never your coffee was it? You knew I'd be awake," Emily smiled as she sat the coffee down on the bedside table.

"Busted," Alison admitted as she held her hands up in fake surrender.

"I missed you," Emily breathed as she brought Alison back into her body, holding the blonde as close as possible.

"I missed you too, Em. Although the girls kept me entertained, Hanna even made a joke that I laughed at… eventually."

Emily frowned as she breathed Alison in. Alison was like a home comfort she never ever got sick of. "What kind of joke?"

"She said you only couldn't believe Jessica had a daughter because you could have been the Dad."

Emily laughed gently, that was the kind of joke she had come to expect of Hanna regarding Jessica. "Hanna has a way with words, I will give her that."

"Indeed, she does."

- x -

Emily took a sip of another black coffee, collected her jumbled thoughts and looked across at Hanna, Spencer and Aria who were sat on the couch across from her. Alison was on her knee with one arm around her neck. Given any other circumstances it would have been a very sweet gathering.

"Jessica could be lying," Hanna argued. "About this whole thing. Maybe she knew someone who left their baby with that specific couple. She could be lying about all of it."

Emily shook her head. "That girl is her daughter, biologically anyway. Trust me on that...I know her." She gave a slight glance to her right but Ali's face remained impassive towards their friends.

Spencer picked up the photo and scrutinised it again. Hanna and Aria joined her. Emily watched as Hanna's nose crinkled, she knew her best friend was attempting to draw comparisons between Ellie and Jessica. She didn't understand how they could not see it.

"Does she live around here?" Hanna asked as she continued to look at the photograph, her head tilted to the right slightly.

"It doesn't matter. And this cannot leave this room. Her. Jessica. Nothing. And I will know if it does because if this gets out we will ruin that girls life," Emily argued strongly before she looked sternly at them all until she had their attention.

There were nods and silent agreements. Silent promises that the name of the person who was in the photo, or who her biological parent was, would never be repeated to anyone else. Emily knew they wouldn't tell, even Aria who she hadn't known for a long time. She knew they all had her and Ali's back.

They were completely silent for a time. The only noise audible was the sound of a car alarm that was going off half a block away. It wasn't exactly loud but it was just annoying and persistent. It bled slowly into the apartment.

"Merry Christmas Eve Eve to us," Spencer said sarcastically as the silence was finally broken in the living room.

- x -

Alison was in bed by the time Emily arrived home. Being only two days before Christmas the brunette had gone to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things that they needed. Alison knew it was a polite way of Emily needing to clear her head alone.

Alison listened as Emily let herself in the door. She didn't come to bed straight away, she was making toast, Alison heard the familiar sound of her fumbling around in the kitchen, the bread being placed in the toaster and pressed down, the water bottle being removed from the fridge and placed on the kitchen island.

Alison scanned through Jessica's file again while Emily waited for her toast to finish. After a few minutes she head the toaster pop up and a few minutes after that Emily sauntered into the bedroom with her toast and a bottle of water.

She put her toast onto the edge of the bed and peeled off her clothes while Alison quickly opened the drawer at her bedside table and placed the file inside. When Emily had pulled her bed time t-shirt over her head she bit into her toast before she leaned over and kissed Alison lightly on the lips.

Ali brushed her thumb over the corner of Emily's mouth, removing a crumb that had refused to budge. "Do you feel better after having a little time to yourself?"

"I know I've seen you all day," Emily said as she pulled the duvet back and ducked underneath it. "But I missed you when I was out."

Ali smiled softly. "I missed you too. I read Jessica's file when I was out."

Alison could tell by Emily's body language that the brunette had figured that out already. There was no jolt of unwanted surprise or a stern look that told her off. She just took another bite of her toast and lifted an eyebrow. "I had a feeling you would but I trust you enough to read it."

"Can you believe she has a child yet?"

Emily held out the toast so Alison could take a bite and then she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I have to believe it, I know Hanna can't see the resemblance but I do. I know that's her child. It's crazy but I just know."

"I see the resemblance too don't worry. What's your thoughts on it all?" Alison asked.

It was a rhetorical question really. There were a lot of things Alison had learned about Jessica and Emily over the past few months. But there were still things Emily would never ever tell her, and she knew it. Maybe someday – when they were old and grey and sitting side by side in futuristic reclining chairs – but not now, not tonight.

"I have no thoughts. It's her child and that's that. As long as that young girl never finds out I will be happy. She doesn't deserve that."

Alison pondered her next question carefully. She bit her lip before the words tumbled out. "You're annoyed that she didn't tell you sooner aren't you?"

"It's fucked up isn't it?"

Alison shook her head and took Emily's hand in her own, linking their fingers together. "I love you," she said softly. "And Hanna and Spencer do, too. Everyone does." She exhaled a long, troubled breath. "We are all here for you. You could have told us how you were feeling about it though, you don't need to speak to her about it."

Emily saw, then, where she was headed. "She gets in my head," Emily mumbled. "But I get out of it when it counts. You get me out of it."

Alison rolled over so her head was pressed tightly against Emily's chest. "If you ever die because of her, I will shoot her," Alison stated simply. "I swear I will."

Emily thought about it for a moment as she drew patterns on Alison's bare shoulder with her fingertips. "If she ever kills me," Emily said, "she will do it herself."

Emily stretched and pulled open the drawer on her side of the bed. It was a folded catalogue page, Alison noticed, as Emily sat them up.

"What's this?" Alison curiously.

Emily huffed. "I ordered it, it's your Christmas present."

Alison narrowed her eyes at Emily for a moment and then she slowly unfolded the page. Her eyes widened and she smiled when she saw the picture of the fresh king sized bed. "You're finally giving up this bed?"

Emily nodded as Alison climbed on top of her, straddling her waist, and then she threw her arms around Emily's neck. For Alison DiLaurentis, Emily could give up her old bed and start afresh. She kissed blonde hair just as the phone rang.

They shared a look before Emily leaned over and grabbed her iPhone. There was no Caller ID. They both knew who it was, Alison leaned back slightly but she was still resting on Emily's thighs when the brunette answered the phone.

"I want to see you," Jessica purred. "It is the time to be jolly and all of that kind of thing, Emily."

Emily pressed the loudspeaker button on the phone and took a breath. "Okay, where?"

"The big tree past the farm, I know you remember where I am talking about," Emily shook her head gently in Ali's direction. "Tell Alison hello, I know she's listening."

"What time?" Emily asked.

"Noon but come alone Emily, I will know if you haven't and if you haven't you will regret it." It was a threat and Emily knew it was a real one. "I want to see you before Christmas, we need to talk about things don't you think? My latest revelation was a good one you have to admit."

Alison blew out her cheeks and then gritted her teeth.

"I'll be there Jessica."

The line went dead and Alison rolled off Emily's legs and onto her side. She leaned over and clicked her bedside light off as Emily did the same. When the room was in darkness she felt Emily's body press up against her own, a strong arm wrapped around her waist holding her in place.

"Are you really going to see her tomorrow?" Ali whispered into the darkness after a few minutes.

Emily kissed her shoulder. "I think I may have a plan."

- x -

"Be careful," Alison said as she placed her hand on Emily's cheek. Tears swam in her eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"It's the end for her, she's going back to jail." Emily said simply as she pulled the blonde's hand away from her face and kissed Ali's palm. "I will be okay," she added as she looked out the window of the apartment. It was a beautiful but cold day. The sky was high and bright.

"I love you," Alison said as she wrapped her hand around Emily's neck and drew the brunette close. "Please be careful," she whispered, her breath mingling with the brunette's before she pressed her lips hard against Emily's.

"I love you too, Alison. I'll come back don't worry."

By the time Emily reached the entrance of her apartment building she had managed to blink the tears away, the last thing she wanted to do was cry now. She ran her fingers over the small device underneath her shirt and headed towards her car. When she looked up at their apartment she could see Alison at the window.

She waved and Alison blew her a kiss before she got into her car. It was nearly fifty minutes later that she reached the lake that she was looking for. It was it's own little ecosystem of trees and fields and old farm houses. In the summer people came to swim in the lake and pick fresh fruit. In the winter it was deserted like now.

She pulled up a few miles behind the lake where Jessica had told her too. There was an empty looking farmhouse near by and in the distance Emily could see a small cluster of trees and a large barn.

She climbed over the barbed wire fence and started walking. As she got close, the grass seemed to get higher. It was nearly at her waist now, bright green and glistening wet from the frost. She continued through it all. It was silent. No birds. The ground was wet underneath her feet.

She couldn't see her car from here. There were a few birds flying aimlessly around above her now but other than that nothing else moved. Emily took a seat on the bench that sat underneath the largest and highest tree. And then she waited.

- x -

It was over three hours before she showed up. Even now, Jessica still surprised her.

Emily was staring at a long thread of grass she had picked up, twirling it in her fingers, and then she had looked up and Jessica was standing there.

Her legs, despite the cold weather, were bare. The green dress she was wearing was the same colour as the grass around them. Emily wondered if that was planned. Jessica pulled at a leash and a young black Cocker Spaniel galloped into view.

"Have you been waiting long sweetheart?"

Emily shrugged. "A few hours. Is that Tom's dog? What have you done to him?"

Jessica's hair was pulled back and the makeup covered her face perfectly. Her body still curved and flattened in all the right places. She took off a pair of large black sunglasses. "No, she's my dog I got lonely. I had to make sure this wasn't a trap."

"Don't think I didn't consider it Jessica." The dog slouched onto the grass next to Emily's feet. "I never pinned you as a dog person."

Jessica nodded before she took a seat next to Emily on the bench. "Surprisingly, I like animals. I have no urge to kill them."

"What happened between you and Laura?" Emily asked, getting straight to the point.

Jessica was quiet for a moment. The cold wind sauntered between them and rustled the leaves on the tree above them. "We were only together a couple of months, I wondered if she'd recognise me but she didn't. She took me out of the only home I was ever happy in."

Emily's eyes widened at the rather honest answer. "So that's why you killed her? You done it brutally."

Jessica leveled her gaze in Emily's direction. "Some people are harder to kill than you might think," she said.

"I'll say," Emily said as she thought about the scars that dotted her own body because of Jessica. The dog rolled over on the cold ground so Emily had access to her belly.

Emily wound the long blade of grass around her finger on her free hand. "Did you hate her for sending you away? I don't think Tom wanted to send you away."

The trees and high grass around them formed a blur of green. The icy sun bled through the gaps in the leaves. Emily could smell the sweetness of the frosty grass and dirt.

"Yes I hated her. Not him though, he came to see me once after it all. Gave me a locket in the shape of a love heart. It was the first time I had ever felt proper rage. At both of them I guess, but especially her, and I promised myself I would get revenge."

Jessica lifted her eyes to Emily's daring her to bring it up.

She could remember Alison's face when she said the sentence two days ago. _'She says she has a child.' _All the time Emily wondered why Jessica had stayed around Rosewood and now it finally fitted together. Emily had often thought about Jessica jumping states because she'd never have been caught if she had done that.

"I've seen your daughter," Emily stated quietly.

Jessica's face didn't change. There was no sign of anything. No regret or grief. "People leave your life," she said. "You and I know that more than most people, Emily."

Emily flicked the blade of grass onto the ground and rubbed her eyes. "I always wondered why you stayed around here to commit more murders, I didn't know it was you then obviously, but I always wondered. And now I know it was always about her, you didn't want to leave her completely."

"Well done Detective."

"You must feel something Jessica," Emily said. She wanted Jessica to feel something. "You told me what you did to Laura in that motel room, all the anger was because of your daughter. Because you had left her like they had left you. It doesn't excuse what you have done though. It's not an excuse."

Jessica sighed out like she was annoyed. "I gave her up a long, long time ago. And it's not an excuse. I killed because I wanted to."

"You've been looking out for her though, in your own fucked up way," Emily argued. "She's a straight A student with nothing out of the ordinary apart from one blemish when she was eight years old. She went missing for a whole afternoon and then turned up unharmed saying a princess had taken her for ice cream."

Jessica looked at her. Her green eyes rock solid. "I couldn't go back after that, she would be too old and recognise me and then everyone would have known," she said. "She would have known. Imagine that life for her knowing who I was?"

Emily studied Jessica's face. Empathy. It was the one thing that people like Jessica were not supposed to have. Some of them got very good at faking it though. Emily couldn't trust herself with her. She saw things that weren't really there. And Jessica knew her well enough to give her what she wanted.

"I can't tell you know," Emily said. "What's real for you and what's made up."

Jessica smiled beautifully. "Maybe that's why we go around in circles like this. Maybe I'm the one person you will never figure out."

Emily thought of Tom Mackintosh, and how many times, during the Jessica Jackson media hysterics of the past few years, he'd seen a photograph of Jessica or the girl he'd known as Lily. Had he really never connected the beautiful serial killer with the quiet skinny girl they had taken in so many years before?

"Do you really think Tom doesn't know what you became?" Emily asked Jessica.

Jessica shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I spent two months with them and then I blossomed significantly after leaving that place," she added. "But the truth is, I think he doesn't want to recognise me. He still feels guilty about letting me go. I hated them for it at the time but it helped me in the long run."

"And," Emily struggled to say the name out loud. "And Emily? Or Ellie as she's called now."

"I don't love her," Jessica said. She said it matter of factly without any hint of malice or nastiness. "She was only a few months old," Jessica was looking past Emily at something far away. "I couldn't love her so I gave her away." She tilted her head and turned away from Emily slightly. "I wanted her to have a life."

"Even though you get your kicks out of taking people's lives?"

She smiled softly at Emily. "It's funny that isn't it?"

Emily searched for some quality of Jessica in her daughter, and when Emily thought of the picture of the fourteen year old she could see it even clearer now. Something in the jaw and cheekbones, the regal nose and mouth. The green eyes. She had, just like Jessica had, blossomed significantly.

"You didn't kill any of the children you were charged with did you?" Emily asked. "It was your little helpers doing it because you couldn't."

Jessica shifted on the bench. "Is that a question?"

"Yes," Emily answered.

She laughed gently and tilted her head back. "We lie to each other all the time, Emily."

"Tell me, Jessica," Emily said, "and I'll believe you."

She looked Emily in the eyes. "No, I didn't kill any of those children. My last victim for pleasure was Robin Andrews. She outlived her purpose; I hate it when people do that. The men at the Carter mansion were business. I was saving your life."

Her gaze was unwavering and her voice was steady. There was no awkward shifting, or sweating, or long pauses between her words. None of the usual telltale signs of lying.

"Wait a second," Emily said. "Any of _those _children? So you have killed other children?"

Jessica wrinkled her nose up. "Do late teenagers count?"

Emily's stomach churned. "No, they won't count legally."

Jessica leaned forward, until her face was inches away from Emily's, their lips almost touching and she widened her eyes. They were so green they almost glowed in Emily's direction.

"Then I'm as innocent as an angel, Emily."

Emily believed her.

It was, she thought, the first time she could remember ever believing something Jessica had ever said about anything. Her breath tickled Emily's lips. She lifted her hand and stroked Emily's cheek with the back of her index finger. "I want you to be happy, somewhere inside me, I do."

Jessica stood up and tugged the edge of her green dress. Emily could see Jessica's dark shadow on the ground, the outline of a human just like anyone one else's shadow, but Emily knew differently. She could see the shadow of the girl Jessica had been.

She gave the leash a gentle pull and the dog whined and pawed at Emily's feet. "She likes you," Jessica stated.

Emily nodded. "Well, I like her too. Dogs are relatively uncomplicated, their owners, however, are a different matter."

Jessica looked unfazed. "As always, it was lovely speaking to you sweetheart. But lets be honest, you are always happier when you are chasing me than when you have me locked away. I think we are going to have a lot more fun when I get back from my little trip."

The honesty had gone from her face; it was back to the hardened mask that Emily knew so well. This Jessica didn't have a daughter. This Jessica didn't feel empathy. This Jessica could tear someone apart without feeling anything apart from enjoyment.

"Jessica," Emily called.

The wind made the grass vibrate and the green dress hug Jessica's thighs tightly. Emily unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt and pushed her hand under the material until she found the short piece of tape that held the tiny microphone to her chest. "I have a confession to make to you."

Her green eyes lifted from Emily's and grazed the field. They had been here for hours: state police, the task force, SWAT. They had snipers in the trees beyond the quarter mile range that Emily had completely insisted on, the area was secured.

At that moment, Jessica was in the scope of at least ten high – powered sniper rifles. '_Don't think I didn't think about it, Jessica.'_

For a split second Emily felt a pang of regret. Not because she had set a trap for Jessica – she was cold blooded killer and she deserved to be locked up – but because she had lied to her after everything Jessica had just said.

"I'm not going back to prison Emily," Jessica stated simply.

"You can't run anywhere, Jessica. It's over. This is over." Emily replied as she pointed between them.

Jessica looked around again before she put her hand into her purse. "I know," she said as she pulled a gun out. "Touché, Emily. You played me like a fool. You were finally one step ahead after all this time."

Then, there was a crack of a sniper's rifle through the open field and Jessica's chest jerked forward and slammed into the ground. Automatically kneeling, Emily pulled Jessica's head onto her lap.

"You didn't have to do that, Jessica."

The blood was seeping through the dress and onto the grass. Emily pressed her hand onto the wound but she knew it was no use, Jessica would bleed out and pretty quickly. Emily wouldn't be able to save her.

"I meant… what I said you know Emily, I loved you."

Emily remained silent as she looked at the rush of police coming towards them. "Why did you keep me alive? Was it because I shared your daughter's name? Did you see something in me that was like her? What the hell was it? I can't go through my life not knowing, Jessica."

Jessica groaned before she coughed, a trail of blood ran from her lip to her chin. "I saved… you… for the op…opposite reason. I saved you… because you were like no one else I'd ever met. I never figured... you out either. I wanted you...in my life."

Jessica's hand curled around Emily's own over her chest wound. "I didn't… leave you to die alone. Please don't leave… me Emily."

"I won't," Emily promised as she felt Jessica's hand gently squeeze her own. She adjusted Jessica's head before she brushed Jessica's hair away from the blood on her face. Even now, despite the blood, she was insanely pretty. "I won't leave you to die alone either."

* * *

><p><em>Ahhh I am going to miss Jessica a lot. But it had to happen, to all Jessica fans I am so glad you loved her character I had a blast writing her and Emily's relationship, you guys are awesome! To non Jessica fans I think you guys will be happy haha. Leave me a review and be awesome!<em>


	32. Love Me Like You Do

_So, sadly, the end is here. What a ride we have all been on with this story! I hope you guys have all enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. As promised way back at the start Emison will get their very deserved happy ending. There is a chance of an epilogue or two if people would be interested in that. But without further ado here we go!_

* * *

><p>The bedroom was dark. Every light in the apartment was switched off.<p>

Emily stood and looked out of the bedroom window, at the stars in the sky and the lights over the dark scar of the park. The buildings in Rosewood glowed white against the night time backdrop. The roads stretched in every direction. Streetlamps sparkled. From this view, standing in the dark room, Rosewood looked brighter.

"Em?" Alison mumbled sleepily. Emily heard the blonde roll over in their bed.

"I'm here, Ali," Emily replied quietly.

"Are you okay?"

Emily exhaled a long breath. "I keep expecting her to show up for me with a scalpel or something. One last act of revenge."

Alison crawled over the bed until she was at Emily's side, she swung her legs out and stood next to the brunette. "Do you want her to come back for you?"

Emily shook her head in disbelief. "No, definitely not. It's just strange, I can't explain it to you. I wish I could."

"I know," Alison answered. "It's okay, Em, I promise. I maybe don't understand but you have suffered a loss. Maybe not in the conventional way but you have. I can go with you tomorrow if you want? It's not too late."

"No, it's fine, Ali. You need to work and I think Toby is going with me."

- x -  
><em><br>_The early morning sun was appearing through the space in the blinds: the pure azure vastness of the sky stretched over the apartment, indifferent to her and her confused feelings.

Considering her history, simply to be alive to watch the sun rise high in the sky outside the window should have been the simplest of pleasures, yet Emily couldn't appreciate it: her senses were painfully dulled by the loss of the woman who had repeatedly tried to destroy her.

Without realising it, she was digging nails into the soft flesh of her palm as if she was trying to resist physical pain. She had spilled her own blood more times that she wanted to count; this journey that would finally end today had already given her scars.

Scars to her chest where a delicately carved love heart rested. Scars to her abdomen where her appendix had been removed in a basement, a scar on the other side where she had been shot a month previous. She had spilled more than enough blood.

They had healed though, the scars. The flesh was pink and sensitive but her skin had sowed itself back together. Attached itself back to her body. It had recovered to some degree. The mental scars, though, would probably never heal completely.

The image of Jessica's head resting on her lap had burned into her soul. The small hole in Jessica's chest had spilled too much blood. That had been her doing, she had done that. She had set Jessica up. But, ironically, she'd never believed that Jessica would rather die than go back to prison.

When she walked into the living room she retrieved the newspaper that was sitting on the kitchen island, made herself a large coffee and then sat on the couch to read.

Luna was stretched out on her side on the floor, her round head resting on Emily's bare foot. Every so often the dog lifted her head and looked at Emily with her dark brown eyes and then, when Emily didn't invite her onto the couch, exhaled loudly and lowered her chin back onto Emily's foot.

Jessica's death was on the inside of the first seven pages despite it being nearly two weeks later. She was described as the most beautiful serial killer the world had ever seen. Most people were glad that she was dead but there were still a few who wanted her at large and missed the excitement of it.

Emily wasn't really sure which camp she fell into.

- x -

Emily put on her dress to wear to the funeral. It was a rich navy blue that passed for black. She'd only worn it once before; at Jessica's court appearance. It seemed oddly fitting. She drank her coffee over the sink so none of it would spill on the dress.

Toby didn't knock on her door. He walked straight and said, "I feel like an idiot. You are going to the funeral of someone who tried to kill you." He was wearing a shirt and dress pants but there were no tie or jacket despite the January cold.

"It's fine, Toby. Like I said, you don't have to come in, just keep a look out for any press. They know this day is coming but hopefully we have kept it under wraps enough. " Emily said as she gulped down the rest of her coffee.

She set the mug in the sink and grabbed her jacket. Luna scurried over towards the couch and jumped up, curling herself into a little black ball. "I won't be too long, Lu."

It took them nearly thirty minutes to reach the church in the morning traffic. The grass around the place was bright green, right up to the property lines. The church was painted white and there was a double door that acted as the entrance. Down the hall there was a door that read 'office'. Emily walked inside, alone, and knocked on it.

After a few seconds, a woman opened the door and smiled. Her dark hair was curled and pinned up on one side, it looked like it needed a lot of hair spray and muscle to keep it in place. She had a round face with happy eyes. Her laugh lines were deep. She was someone who obviously smiled a lot.

She said, "I didn't think anyone would show up, although I'm even more surprised that it's you. I'm Pastor Little."

"Yeah, well," Emily replied without giving an explanation before she introduced herself as Detective Fields despite already knowing that the woman knew who she was.

The woman's smile remained on Emily but her posture had shifted. Emily could see the white structured collar around her neck. "Despite who she was, we are sorry to hear of her passing. Are you a religious person Detective?"

Emily hesitated. "Will my answer affect anything that will happen today?"

The reverend smiled. "No. I will say what I usually do in these situations regardless of your eternal salvation."

Emily smiled slightly, more to herself than to the reverend. "I think my eternal salvation is long gone."

The pastor motioned Emily into the room full of pews. A solitary coffin sat at the bottom of the aisle. "We are all sinners, Detective," Pastor Little said as they walked forward. "People are capable of great acts of evil."

"That's your description of her, not mine," Emily shrugged.

"So you don't believe in evil?"

Emily thought for a second. "Evil makes it sound like a lack of experience or biology. In my line of work people don't kill because they are evil, it's usually for something they want. Money. Power. Pleasure."

The pastor cocked her head at Emily and then towards the coffin. "And what about Jessica Jackson?"

Emily looked at the wooden box. "I never got around to figuring her out."

The pastor nodded and walked a few more steps. "Shall we get started?"

"Yes," Emily said. "Let's do it."

Before Emily knew it they were praying. She didn't know what for, she highly doubted that Jessica was going to heaven, if it existed. Her eternal salvation was a lost cause long before she even met Emily.

There were no tears. And there were no flowers on top of the coffin. It was as plain and simple as it could have been. Emily turned her head and took in a three sixty view. There were only two of them. She couldn't imagine a sadder end to an existence.

Pastor Little said some closing words and then it was all over just like that. Emily stood and mulled over what to do. She settled on placing her hand on top of the coffin. She tapped on it gently and shook her head. "Goodbye, Jessica."

She said goodbye to the pastor and made her way out of the church. She was just about to reach Toby's car when a voice called her name. She turned in the direction of the sound and her mouth felt slack when she saw where it had come from.

"Hi, Ellie," Emily said at the teenager standing in front of her. "What… how… what… - "

She smiled at Emily. "Can I talk to you? I know somewhere we can go?"

Emily, while stunned, nodded and followed the teenager. "Sure, I'm all ears."

- x -

Somewhere turned out to the bench behind the church. It looked out onto the main road. The afternoon had thawed and they were protected from the wind by a tree on each side of the bench. Emily could hear birds chirping in the trees next to them.

"I know about her. I'm nearly fifteen, I knew when the police came over asking about the adoption there was something going on and I'm not blind to the physical resemblance. My parents don't lie to me. You know my friends used to joke about me looking like her?"

"You're very intuitive," Emily admitted with a smile.

"Was she?" Ellie asked innocently as she looked at Emily with big green eyes.

Emily nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"It's weird," Ellie began. "I don't feel anything apart from revulsion. What she did to all those people. She will never be my parent and I will never think of her as that."

Emily studied the girl beside her. Despite the striking resemblance to Jessica there were obvious differences. Ellie was rounder in the face, it was softer than Jessica's. Emily also guessed that she would be taller than Jessica in a few years.

"No, she won't be," Emily, said confidently. "Your parents sound like wonderful people. And feeling revulsion is normal, I think that's where you and her are biologically programmed different."

Ellie smiled as she stared out at the main road. "I have the biggest secret in Rosewood."

"Everyone has secrets in Rosewood." Emily said knowingly. "Some, though, are bigger than others I admit. But no one will ever leak that from our Department, you have my word on that."

"My friends at school say secrets keep us close."

Emily lips curved into a small smile. "Sometimes they do but other times not so much."

"Am I like her?" Ellie asked.

Emily didn't hesitate before she answered. "No, you're nothing like her apart from the physical aspect. And not being like her is not a bad thing at all."

"What was she like? Before? Sorry, I'm just curious."

Emily shook her head gently. "It's normal to be curious, but what was she like? At the beginning she was lovely and then… then it all went downhill from there."

"I'm sorry for what she did to you," Ellie stated quietly as she looked at Emily. "I've read about you. Well I think everyone has around here."

"It wasn't your fault and it's in the past. You don't need to apologise to me."

"Can I tell you something Detective?"

Her voice had changed, it was serious and it caused Emily to look around. "Yes, of course you can."

"She took me one day," Ellie spoke quietly. "I couldn't remember if it was a dream or not but it wasn't. When my parents explained certain things to me I remembered it like it was yesterday. Like I was eight years old again. Every detail."

"That's normal in these kind of situations. It's a massive thing to deal with," Emily answered gently.

"No, it's not that," Ellie hesitated. "After it happened I used to wish she would come back for me and take me out for a day again. Like I missed her even though I didn't know her."

Emily reached out and placed her hand on the teenager's shoulder. "It's okay to remember that," she said. "But it's okay to forget about it too. You don't have to hold onto that."

"What if I want to though?" Ellie fired back quickly in the inquisitive way most teenagers asked curious unknowing questions. "Like hold onto it a little?"

"Then you should," Emily stated simply as she gave Ellie's shoulder a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

By the time they had walked back around to the front entrance, three new bodies were standing at Toby's car. Even from the back, Emily recognised Alison in an instant. Hanna, Aria and Spencer flanked her on either side.

Alison had clearly been home, the pup they'd inherited sat idly at Ali's feet, content to take in the surroundings until she spotted Emily. Then she pulled quickly at the leash, much to Ali's surprise, and bounded playfully in Emily's direction.

"Hey, Luna," Emily gushed as she kneeled and ruffled the curls on the dogs head. By the time she stood up, Ellie had walked away towards the sidewalk while Alison, Hanna, Aria and Spencer stared at the teenager in disbelief. "Ellie," Emily called.

Emily wasn't completely sure what to say. What could she say really? But she dug into her purse anyway and pulled a small card out. "If you ever need to talk about… well you know. Give me a call."

Ellie smiled back at her and, for the first time since Ellie had introduced herself earlier, Emily saw Jessica's smile. She had the same smile lines Jessica had, her lips curved in the same way. It was only there for a second and then it was gone again.

"Thank you. I will," Ellie replied before held the card up a little and turned on her heels.

- x -

"So, she just showed up?" Hanna asked as they walked a long the sidewalk.

Ali's hand was clasped in her own and she held the leash in her other hand as Luna trotted a long easily next to them, stopping to sniff every so often.

"Well, her parents were informed of what was happening and they chose to tell her," Emily replied as Ali's head leaned against her shoulder. They were forced to stop again as Luna sniffed at a newspaper stand. Jessica's face was on the front page of the paper.

"Maybe she senses that's her old owner," Hanna stated bluntly as she came to a halt and shook her head down at the pup. "Who even calls their dog Luna? Do you think it was short for Loony or Loonball? Like did Jessica name the dog after herself or something?"

Spencer shook her head. "Hanna, you have the tact of a hand grenade."

"Thank you," Hanna replied cheerily with a smile on her face.

Emily looked down at Ali who was beaming back at her. She leaned down and pecked the blonde gently on the lips before they resumed their walk. "Thank you, for being there. Thank you all for being there."

"Well," Alison said, "we knew you wouldn't agree to us going with you so we made other arrangements."

"Yeah, we all wanted to be there for you Em, we know it's been difficult for you," Spencer added with a smile. Aria nodded her head in agreement with a smile and Hanna leaned over to give Emily a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

They continued on towards The Brew, Emily was hoping that their years of loyal service to the coffee shop would allow her to take Luna inside for a little while. If not, she was going to sneak her in anyway and use her badge if she really needed to.

When they reached The Brew Emily stopped and looked over her shoulder. The rest of them looked past her shoulder to where she was staring. "Just go in guys we will be there in a second," Emily mused as Hanna, Spencer and Aria made their way into the coffee shop.

For the first time in nearly four years she could breathe without looking over her shoulder. There was no threat looming close by and if there was she was certain it wouldn't be in the same league as Jessica. She didn't have to remember to breathe it just came naturally to her again. When her lungs expanded with air it wasn't full of poison anymore it sheer clean oxygen.

A warm hand enclosed around her own and tugged her gently towards the door of the coffee shop. She obeyed the pressure of Alison's hand without really thinking twice about it. When she turned around the blonde was smiling at her, blue eyes sparked in her direction through long lashes.

They had reached that point, Emily realised, that point in their relationship where they could give each other a look or a squeeze of the hand and know exactly what the other was thinking or feeling. The awareness of Alison was all around her and she didn't have a single complaint about that.

"She's not coming for us, Em," Alison said soothingly as she ran her thumb against the back of Emily's hand.

Emily looked at the clear blue cloudless sky and smiled towards it before she dropped her attention back to Ali. She exhaled loudly and smiled in the blonde's direction. "I know and I'm glad babe."

- x -

Emily re entered the numbers into her phone and pressed the equal button but nothing changed. The final calculation was still way over what they needed to pay the bills for the month. She guessed that her and Alison were bringing in nearly five or six times what they needed to pay out.

Emily placed her phone on the coffee table and looked over the couch towards Alison who was standing at the kitchen island in front of a pile of clothing. There was an innocent smile on her flawless face, Emily didn't even think the blonde knew she was smiling, it was reminiscent of a storybook Cinderella.

"Ali?" Emily called gently.

The blonde looked up from the pile of clothing and Emily couldn't tell if her startled expression was due to Emily catching her smiling at, apparently, nothing or because Emily had interrupted her attempt at reuniting the loose socks that were in the pile of clothes.

"Yeah?" Alison answered cheerily. Her blue eyes welcomed Emily into the safety of them.

"Did you know we were bringing in like six times the amount we need to pay out?"

Alison shrugged as she finally held a loose sock in the air in triumph. "Well, you were on good pay anyway and since I got my promotion that sounds about right. Why what's wrong with that?"

Emily shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong babe, I was just thinking we could use it."

"For what?" Alison questioned as she made her way over towards the couch.

She slouched onto the couch so she was in between Emily's legs, her back to Emily's front. She hadn't even got comfy when strong arms wrapped around her. She sighed happily as Emily pressed a kiss onto her temple and before she could stretch her feet out Luna jumped up beside them and curled up into a ball.

She felt Emily shrug. "Well, we could go on a vacation. A proper one with sunshine and everything."

Alison laughed gently. "Yeah we could go on a vacation. I'm sure someone will agree to look after this little one," she wiggled her toes against Luna and the dog looked at her with contempt at being disturbed. "I don't think she likes me much."

"Yes, she does," Emily replied. "She just likes me more because she knows I love dogs."

"I love dogs too!" Alison huffed as she reached her hands up to Emily's arms that were wrapped around her shoulders. "She will love me, it's my mission."

"Who couldn't love you Ali?" Emily asked through her smile. "Wow, that was cheesy."

"Cheesy is good sometimes," Alison replied as she leaned her head backwards, just enough that Emily could reach down and press their lips together.

"I think she would like you more if you took her a walk," at the mention of the word walk, Luna's ears perked up and her brown eyes stared at both of them in anticipation. Her tail rippled excitedly against Ali's feet. "See," Emily said smugly.

- x -

The clear skies made the early evening feel even colder. Emily had zipped up her leather jacket fully while Ali's red peacoat was buttoned to the very top. For a change, Alison had a hold of Luna's leash as they walked happily along the sidewalk towards the more affluent side of Rosewood. Spencer and Toby's house was nearby.

Happiness and silence were perfect partners and Emily understood that very well. She had been around suffering for too long to not appreciate a happy silence when it came a long. Sometimes there were no words to describe the contentment a person was feeling and Emily, right then, understood that too.

They came to a rest in front of a property that had a 'For Sale' sign sticking out of the garden. It was modern four bedroomed, three-bathroom house that looked obsessively taken care of. Alison looked down at Luna before she looked back at the house.

Images soared quickly through her mind. Alison swallowed hard and wondered how people did this kind of thing every single day.

_You did it when you were a kid, _she told herself. _You did it every time you swung over the water on the rope and hoped you missed the rocks when you let go. You did it every time you went speeding downhill on your roller skates hoping that you didn't crash into anything on the way down. You took the plunge and hoped for the best. It was usually just fine._

"I was thinking maybe we should get married. You know? Have kids, buy a house and do the whole thing together." Alison murmured quietly.

Emily bent in half almost instantly, laughing out loud, and Alison thought either she'd just proposed to an absolutely insane woman or she'd screwed this up beyond anything that could ever be repaired. She gripped the leash and hoped that Luna could pull her to a quick getaway if needed.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry Alison," Emily finally gasped, straightening, at least making an attempt at a sober face befitting the serious occasion. "I just can't believe how normal that sounded coming from you. Do you know how long it's been since I thought of marriage and kids with someone?"

Alison grinned as Emily grabbed both of her hands in the brunette's own and looked towards the house.

_When you glimpse the future and it looks fantastic do you jump in feet first or do you keep one foot in the past just in case?_

Emily thought, very briefly, about the apartment they shared and the life she had half carved for herself in there before she had met Alison. A lonely, depressing existence where she had never ever allowed herself to dream of a family life.

"I think we should call and view it," Emily stated as she brought Ali's hands over her head so they were clasped around her neck. The leash had fallen to the ground but Emily's foot had stood on it to keep it in place so Luna couldn't run off. "And for the record, Ali, I would love to do the whole marriage and baby thing together with you."

She leaned down and pressed her lips against Ali's, smiling about the prospect of their future together. The scars on her body didn't hurt and she had a feeling none of them ever would again.

- x -

The arrived back at the house the following day at exactly noon. Alison had only talked to the estate agent briefly over the phone and she wasn't really sure what to expect but she was pleasantly surprised.

The estate agent was around six foot, in his early forties and wore a sharp suit. Everything about him screamed professional. She stared past him at the house and took Emily's hand in her own. Things were about to change, she could feel it.

"Richard Robertson," he said as he firmly shook Alison's hand. "I'm glad you could make it."

"We are really looking forward to seeing inside, we checked on your website and it looks perfect," Emily added. She watched him scrutinize her but, to his credit, he said nothing and, instead, opened the gate to the property.

"The front garden area is very impressive," Alison commented and Richard's face widened into a smile before he opened the door for them. "I like it a lot."

The rest of the house didn't disappoint them. Over four thousand square feet of living space and high-beamed ceilings in places with beautiful marble floors. It's interior had been lavishly decorated with modern and stylish furniture but not too much that it didn't feel homely.

The light fixtures made every room seem relaxed and warm. Outside, there was a spacious entertaining and seating area, a large garden where Luna could run around for hours. It provided the final touches to the house.

As they explored each room, hand in hand, Alison and Emily tried to conceal their excitement but the smiles on their faces gave them away. The house was literally selling itself to them in the best possible way.

They sauntered back into the living room, Richard stood by the large wooden double doors. He seemed pleased with himself, full well knowing that he had made a pretty decent sale for the day.

They stood behind the luxurious red leather sofa that was positioned just of the center of the immense room. They both had a final look around the room before their attention settled back onto each other.

"What do you think then?" Alison asked as she stood beaming.

Emily nodded and then smiled back. "I absolutely love it."

- x -

"You're engaged?!" Hanna squealed. "When? How? And you have a new house?!"

"Okay, Hanna, calm," Spencer said through a grin. "I think everyone in this apartment block can hear you."

"Dogs can hear you," Emily challenged as she nudged Alison's hip playfully with her own.

There were various hugs shared between them all before Hanna began asking questions again. "Okay, so where is the ring?" She asked Alison, looking down at the blonde's bare finger.

"We haven't got any yet, this has been a whirlwind few days," Emily stated simply as she leaned over and petted Luna before grabbing her coat. "We won't be long," she added as she ruffled the curls on the dog's hair as usual.

"This is crazy," Aria said as they made their way towards the apartment door. "Crazier than crazy but in a good way of course."

"I seriously didn't expect us to be celebrating an engagement dinner tonight," Spencer argued as they shut the apartment door and headed towards the elevator.

Hanna and Aria were right behind them as they reached the lobby where the elevators rested. "I fancy Italian food tonight," Hanna said.

"We are going to celebrate their engagement and I know we all probably want to go to different places but Emily and Ali should decide, it's their night after all." Spencer said.

"Fine," Hanna huffed as they all took a step into the lift.

"I don't care where we go," Emily stated happily as she looked down at Alison.

Irrespective of their audience she pulled the blonde towards her and kissed Ali fully on the mouth so that the only thing she could think of or feel was the blonde against her. They ignored the sarcastic complaints of their friends when they finally parted.

Having all of them in the elevator at the same time was a tight fit and Hanna looked around at all of them, worried, as the elevator doors finally slid shut. "Em, does this thing have a weight limit or something on it?"

"I have no idea," Emily replied as she pushed on the button for the ground floor and wrapped her arm around Ali's waist to draw the blonde as close to her as she possibly could.

She felt Alison's hand wrap around her waist and she leaned down to kiss her quickly on the lips again before she settled her chin on top of the blonde's head.

Jessica seemed like a distant memory, she wasn't of course, but she felt like it and that was enough. Emily thought about the memories that were still to come. They had a new house. Alison wanted to marry her. Alison wanted a family with her. She grinned to herself and squeezed gently at Ali's waist.

"I love you, Ali," she whispered into blonde hair.

"I love you too, Em."

All was well.

* * *

><p><em>So there we go guys I really hope you have all enjoyedliked/loved this story as much as I have writing it. And aye I stole the last line from Harry Potter but it just fitted the scene! Like I said there is a chance of an epilogue or two so let me know if it would be of interest. I would love to get this story past 1200 reviews so please if you read this leave me one. Even a few words, it's very appreciated! If you like follow me on Twitter at kirstenr93 or you can find me on Tumblr, my url is amusingbutconfusingg_


	33. It's Time

_So here we go with the first of our Fractured epilogues. It's Emison fluff to the highest degree, this story more than deserves some fluffiness! So here we go, also I want to thank every single person again who reviewed this story. The number of reviews is still completely off the scale haha! Thank you guys. But if you wish please leave me more wee reviews they are awesome!  
><em>

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><p><span><strong><em>3 Years Later<em>**

Emily had made them breakfast, her marital equivalent of a chore. She had started plating the food when she heard the bedroom door upstairs close and then the pattern of soft footprints above her head. A minute later there was the familiar creak of the stair as Alison stood on it.

"What's this?" Alison asked as she breezed into the kitchen, her dressing gown wrapped tightly around her waist. Her cheeks were still pink from where she had slept and her hair was pulled over her right shoulder.

Emily smiled at her. "Breakfast for us, I hope."

"I didn't even hear you come home last night," Alison said as she yawned, then she leaned down and ruffled Luna who had sauntered over to say good morning. "Good morning to you too, Luna."

"Yeah, I got home late, I didn't want to wake you so I thought I would do the next best thing and make you breakfast," Emily replied as she leaned down and kissed Alison softly on the lips. "Good morning," she added as she sat down at the opposite side of the table.

Alison let the smell of the breakfast pancakes and bacon surround her before she picked up her fork and took a bite. "Oh, Em. This is lovely. How's the new case going then?"

"Badly, if we don't have a lead by today I think I may scream. Or quit. Be a stay at home wife for you."

Alison laughed before she placed her hand over her wife's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You will get a lead today, I have a feeling."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in relative silence until Alison was full, a single pancake and rasher of bacon sat untouched on her plate and she watched in amusement as Emily eyed it up twice. "Please, Em. Help yourself babe you're drooling."

Emily grinned before she leaned over and drew Ali's plate towards her. It was amazing, Alison thought to herself. Emily had an almost frightening appetite and yet she remained in perfect physical condition. Never gaining or losing any weight. Just staying perfect as she was.

She sipped her coffee and then opened the newspaper that Emily had sat out while the brunette finished the last of her breakfast off. "Your case is on the front page," Ali commented as she pointed to the headline. "I wish I didn't have to read that sort of thing at breakfast time."

"Seriously? You write that sort of thing for a living now Mrs Bestseller Crime Books," Emily remarked with a smile as she placed her knife and fork on the plate with a small clink.

"Exactly, I need a break from it," Alison replied as she turned the page with a flick of her wrist. "There are no good newspapers anymore anyway."

"That's because you don't write for them babe."

Alison tilted her head and smiled in Emily's direction. "You have to say that, you are married to me."

Emily pushed her chair back and placed their empty plates on top of each other. "Well yeah… but it's also true and sadly I have to go to work now. Catch maniacs, the usual kind of thing."

She placed the plates in the dishwasher and pressed a few buttons until it whirred into action while Luna moved in circles around her legs clearly waiting on her walk. "Sorry, Lu. I can't take you today but she will," Emily stated as she nodded her head over towards Ali.

Alison refolded the paper carefully, running her thumbnail along the crease of it and then she leaned her head back as Emily walked over towards her. "I will see you at lunch time and thank you for the breakfast it was wonderful."

"You're welcome babe," Emily said before she leaned down and kissed the top of Ali's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Alison called as Emily headed for the front door. "Remember and be safe!"

- x -

Emily was sitting alone in her new office, a phone hooked to her shoulder and drumming her fingers on her new desk that looked clean and sterile enough for surgery. They'd moved out of their headquarters in the old bank months ago but she'd vowed to keep her new office, which was on the fifth floor, as clean and tidy as she could manage.

Not a single scrap of paper littered her desk, the computer she used looked brand new and as the screen sent itself to sleep she could see her reflection looking back at her. She moved the mouse and the screen sprang back into life, a picture of her and Alison sat at the right side of her desk next to one of them and their friends, and Luna of course.

A copy of the crime scene photo lay perfectly centered on the desk in front of her. The photo showed a crime scene that a teenage kid would probably dream up – a middle-aged man sitting on the toilet with a bullet hole in his head. Emily glanced at her watch impatiently, she'd been on hold for nearly five minutes. So much for Ali's predictions of leads today.

"How'd you do it Fields?" Callahan asked as he sauntered into her office and sat down on the edge of her desk.

Emily narrowed her eyebrows and looked up, she placed her hand over the phone before she spoke. "How did I do what?"

"Get hunted by a beautiful serial killer, survive, get hunted again, survive and then grab yourself a smokin' hot wife in the process," he replied with a yawn. "Sometimes I wish it was me."

"Getting hunted by a serial killer?" Emily questioned, "the feelings mutual when you're leaving ass prints all over my desk. Why do you look like you've been up all night anyway?"

He squinted his eyes and then ran his hand down his face as he yawned again. "Why do you think? I've been up half the night with the accident." He was talking about his four month old son who had been a very surprisingly arrival for him and his girlfriend of just a few months at the time.

Emily let out a long-suffering sigh. "You have to stop calling your son that, you're going to give him a complex. Plus he is a little cutie,"

"Yeah? Then why don't you and Alison offer to babysit more often?"

"We… I..."

"Exactly Fields, wait until it's your own my friend," he chirped as Emily leaned across and shoved him gently off her desk. "You'll see my point."

Emily shook her head as he walked out of her office still yawning. Sure, her and Alison had spoken about kids but they had never agreed when or who would have them. It was always a back and forth kind of situation. Given her history, Emily reckoned she'd be a little happier with Alison having their children.

She wondered what it would be like taking Luna for her walk with a pram and her son or daughter, it made her smile. As did the thought of Alison with a cute little baby bump. She was lost in thoughts of her wife and their maybe, could be future children when the phone clicked and a voice came back on the line.

It was time to go back to work.

- x -

It was one of those unusual years when the summer colours along the lake in Rosewood Park almost stopped your heart. The low grass and foliage flamed green, the trees on either side glowed in various shades of green, orange and red and the water shimmered like blue silk fabric. The paths were completely free of any debris or litter. It was, quite simply, a beautiful day.

Alison had been a simple, small time journalist the last time the colours had been this intense with the air so clean. So self indulgent in her own career and career rut problems that she'd barely noticed anything around her. Now she'd been married for two years and known Emily for three. She was unsure where the time had gone.

Her attention fell on a mother and daughter playing with their dog. A giant of a dog in comparison to Luna who lay faithfully at Ali's feet enjoying the late morning sunshine. Alison watched curiously as the mom playfully chased the daughter and dog around while Luna resisted the urge to run over and join the other dog.

"Emily will say yes you know?" Hanna smiled brightly as she slid into the bench next to Alison, a sweet smelling pastry in her hand.

"Hi, it's nice to see you too Han," Alison replied, "and say yes to what?"

Hanna took another bite out of her pastry and carefully chewed before she wiped a few stray crumbs off her top. "To have your offspring obviously," she said it bluntly before she nodded over towards the mother and daughter.

Alison's eyes widened at the remark before she began to laugh for no apparent reason. "My offspring?"

"Yeah, I know big fancy words too, Ali." Hanna bit back playfully before she went back to the more important job of eating the rest of her food.

"Glad to hear it," Alison stated as she checked her phone. She was waiting until noon when Emily had her lunch before taking Luna to see her. It was their routine on Emily's early lunch days.

"So? Are you guys thinking of kids?" Hanna prodded again.

Alison shook her head. "Not really, we've mentioned it but we don't really have a plan right now."

"Well, you need one."

Alison turned her head towards the other blonde. "Why?"

"Because someone else will want Emily's babies if you wait too long." There was a short pause before Hanna began to laugh this time. "Ali, I'm joking. Although the look on your face is kind of priceless right now."

Alison felt Hanna's arm around her shoulder before the blonde drew her closer giving her a friendly hug. "You're lucky I'm not kicking your ass for that remark, Han."

"I'd just call the police on you anyway," Hanna stated easily with a smile.

Alison scoffed at the comment. "My wife runs that place."

"Touchè," Hanna conceded, "but you should talk to her, you guys are ready to have little Ali's or Emily's. I'll even offer to babysit right now."

- x -

As Alison had ended up correctly predicting earlier in the morning, Emily's day had been full of leads and new information. Despite this, their murdered middle-aged man seemed to be part of a bigger operation, much to Emily's dismay.

"I haven't been as stumped as this since the ninth grade," Callahan commented as they sat in their newly furbished conference room.

"Why?" Toby asked, "what did you do in the ninth grade?"

Callahan bristled slightly before he answered. "Asked the most popular girl in the senior class to prom with me. She said no."

Emily shook her head. This was the exact kind of situation that gently reminded her that she worked in an environment of men. Silly men at times. "Well that was stupid," she offered genially.

They were interrupted with a knock at the door and Jennifer, their new assistant around the offices peered her head in. Emily could see hearts floating out of Callahan and Toby's face. She shook her head at them again.

"Do you need anything Detectives?"

"No, we are fine Jennifer thanks." Emily replied before she picked up the file folder and hit Callahan and Toby on the shoulder with it. "You have a wife, who is my best friend," she directed at Toby, "and you have a girlfriend and a son," she added in Callahan's direction.

"That's your new assistant?" Alison asked curiously from the doorway. Emily hadn't even noticed Alison passing the window despite the blinds being open.

Callahan shifted in his seat before he stood, a slight snigger on his face. "Good luck with this Fields, my girlfriend wouldn't like her being my assistant either."

Within a few seconds the only people in the room were Emily, Alison and Luna who had taken herself over to the settee. Emily was waiting on the snippy comment from the blonde about the new assistant, she could feel it in her stomach and she knew Alison far too well to know that she wasn't wrong.

Alison crossed her arms defensively across her mid section before she cleared her throat. "Shouldn't she be on the runway in Milan or Paris or something?"

_And there it is, _Emily thought. "Ali, come on, she's just the assistant for our team, I didn't personally hire her."

Emily moved easily across the room until she had her hands on both of Alison's shoulders but blue eyes refused to meet her own. "Ali," she coaxed again as she pulled Alison closer. "She's just an assistant."

Alison rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Em. I saw Toby and Callahan looking at her with heart eyes."

"You're jealous." Emily stated playfully, it wasn't even a question it was simply a truthful statement.

"I am not." Alison retorted quickly as bright blue eyes finally flashed in Emily's direction.

She wrapped her arms around Ali's neck and brought the blonde closer until she was resting her chin on Ali's head and within a few seconds she felt arms wrap around her waist. She grinned to herself as she thought of how silly Alison was being. She kissed the blonde's hair and waited.

"You're mine," Alison said after a few quiet moments. "I didn't go through what I did for you to have some pretty assistant steal you."

Emily shook her head. "She is not going to steal me, Ali."

"Yeah, well she better not or she will wish she was on a runway in Milan, and I don't mean a fashion one."

Emily pulled away while resisting the urge to laugh before she reached down and took Alison's hands in her own, slipping their fingers together and smiling when she felt the cold platinum band of Ali's wedding right and then engagement ring against her flesh.

"You could take her, I have faith in that," Emily said with a smirk before she leaned down and placed a kiss on Ali's lips.

"I actually wanted to talk to you later," Alison admitted as she looked up at Emily who was looking at her with nothing but affection. "When you come home obviously, not in here."

Emily wasn't sure what it was inside her but she could feel the serious conversation buzz in her stomach and she could see it in Ali's face when the blonde pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Oh God, are you leaving me?" Emily asked nervously. "The assistant isn't going to steal me, Ali."

Alison's face curled in surprise shocked. "No! Of course I'm not leaving you."

"Then what is it?" Emily encouraged, "you can't say that then not give me a hint."

Alison shook her head before she squeezed their interlinked hands together. "Fine," she replied reluctantly.

Despite knowing how much Emily loved her, of that she had not one single doubt, she was still worried about Emily's reaction or lack of reaction in this situation. They'd spoken about children like she'd told Hanna but actually saying it out loud was another matter and the words didn't seem like they wanted to come out.

"Ali?" Emily spoke gently, bringing Alison out of her daydream.

Alison looked up at Emily whose eyes were expectantly on her waiting on a reply. "Babies." _God she was bad at this._

Emily's eyes narrowed before her head tilted to the right slightly. "Whose babies?"

"Ours," Alison mumbled. "I wanted to talk about babies."

"Oh," Emily said, "oh," she repeated as her eyes widened in realisation and then she smiled at her wife. "I'll be home as soon as I can then."

"Good," Alison replied before she curled her hand around Emily's neck and drew the brunette's lips onto her own. She waited until Emily's hands were on her waist before she swiped her tongue along the brunette's bottom lip and allowed her own to stroke Emily's.

When she pulled away Emily was looking at her wide eyed and panting. "What was that for?" Emily questioned dreamily.

"Just so everyone here knows that you're mine," Alison replied happily. "Come on Luna," she added as she patted her thigh with her hand and winked back at Emily.

- x -

Alison watched from behind the kitchen island next to the oven as Luna climbed up onto one of the kitchen chairs, carefully placing her small paws to avoid knocking herself off balance. It had taken her a long time and many gentle falls onto the floor to teach herself the trick, and Alison thought that in a dog's world, Luna was probably a genius.

Once she had four paws centered on the classy wooden seat, she turned in inches until her fluffy tail swished against the back of the chair and then she sat down with an audible sigh and looked out the window.

"Despite my initial feelings towards you and your original owner Luna, you are a brilliant animal." Alison smiled at her.

Luna smiled back, letting her tongue fall out the side of her mouth. Alison, originally, had no idea why the dog insisted on sitting on the kitchen chair until one evening she saw Emily coming in the front gate and Luna bounding off the chair towards the front door. It was like the dog had an internal clock of when Emily would arrive home.

"She will be home in a little while," Alison told Luna, as if the dog had been privy to her mental recollection. "Just be patient."

As if on cue Emily's car pulled up into the driveway and she sauntered into the house, leaning down immediately to pet Luna as the dog dived for her. "I see you girl," Emily soothed as she rubbed at the dogs ears, then she walked towards Alison, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead before washing her hands.

"So," Emily said casually, "babies." She'd gone over the conversation in her head 100 times on the way home and she'd decided that the best way to do this would be to take control of the situation.

"I know, I know," Alison said as she placed her hands up in a surrender gesture. "I just… recently it's all I can think about and I really want a baby with you, Em. I think we are ready for that step."

Emily smiled down at Alison, the blonde looked more content than Emily had ever remembered. "Then lets have one," she said as she lifted Alison onto the kitchen counter with a grin. "Your boobs will get bigger too."

Alison playfully slapped her on the shoulder. "Your terrible, Em."

Emily unbuttoned her works shirt as Ali's legs wrapped tightly around her, Luna had scampered into the living room as if she didn't want to witness what was about to happen. "I know, but I'm okay with that, Ali."

"Lets start now then," Alison said with a quiet giggle as she shifted forward on the counter so her center was pressed against Emily's bare flesh. Emily looked down at the scars she almost forgot she had nowadays and leaned over to take Ali's mouth in a long kiss.

"Why?" Emily asked, her voice rough with want. "Do I need more practice?" She slid her hands down the front of Ali's shorts, groaning softly as she felt her wife get wet instantly as she touched.

Alison moaned and let her head fall back before she leaned down and pressed her lips against Emily's, their kiss was messy and desperate as Emily's hand worked against her.

"You definitely don't need any practice," she breathed as she moved her hips in a rhythm with Emily's fingers. "But it doesn't hurt to practice a little more."

Emily grinned and pushed her fingers deeper, curling them inside which earned her a moan and a small yelp from Ali's mouth. She used her free hand to pull Ali's top off before she leaned down and took a straining nipple in her mouth, twirling her tongue around it in circles.

Alison lifted her hips, her nails sinking into the flesh of Emily's shoulders, while she moved herself quickly down onto the brunette's strong curling fingers. "Oh God, Em," she panted as every thrust became quicker and stronger.

Emily groaned at the effort, the muscles in her forearm were burning to the point of physical pain in this position, but she didn't care. It was better than any other kind of muscle burn she could think of. She watched as blue eyes fluttered shut and cheeks pinked as Alison threw her head back. Emily leaned down and attached her lips to the blonde's neck as she felt Alison shudder to her climax.

After a few moments, Alison collapsed forward, gulping air as she rested her head on Emily's shoulders while drawing the brunette closer. Her legs were still wrapped tightly around Emily's waist. Emily pulled back slightly and moved a few strands of blonde hair behind Ali's ear.

"How was that for practice?" Emily asked playfully as she placed a kiss on Ali's shoulder.

"A little quick," Alison replied blissfully as she leaned her neck back again as Emily's mouth moved across her skin. "But, that's a yes to us having a baby together right?"

"Yes." Emily replied before she leaned Alison completely back on the kitchen counter and began to devour her all over again.

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><p><em>Hope you guys enjoy this little epilogue, it was fun to get back into this story again! Thanks again for all your support!<br>_


	34. Flowers in the Window

_Surprise! Epilogue number 2! I know it's late in being updated but my life is crazy busy at uni and yeah haha. You all know what it's like :). Anyway, there will be one more after this and that will be this story completely wrapped up. What a journey we've all been on haha. If you wish and I still love reading reviews on this then please leave me one! They are all appreciated. If this story had over 1300 reviews that would be insane!  
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><p>"Toby is going to take the lead on this one tonight and he will fill you in on our person of interest. Toby?" Emily's voice was clear and strong, despite the tension and tiredness that knotted in her stomach. This case was beginning to pick away at her.<p>

"Yep," Toby replied easily, "I want to check…"

As Toby got into his informative speech, Emily slipped out the door. Even after all this time, she couldn't always bear being the center of everyone's attention. Where everyone hung onto her every word like she was some sort of legend. It had been years since she had brought Jessica's heinous killing spree to an end, but the interest in Emily and her life still lingered.

Bringing in a serial killer who had imprisoned you was impressive enough on it's own, being captured twice and living to tell the tale again was something else. People still wanted the details. They wanted to open Emily up and pick over her brains while she reflected on the happy years that had passed.

She'd recently been offered a transfer to New York, they'd made an offer Rosewood Police Department couldn't refuse for Emily despite all their efforts to keep her. A bigger office, a bigger department, a bigger budget and a bigger job but she'd turned it down happily. Apparently Rosewood Police Department had breathed a sigh of relief when she'd turned it down - so she'd heard anyway.

She knew that wherever she went the eyes of the world would be on her and it was better to face that scrutiny at home, where she had managed to build a happy life for herself, Alison and their soon to be daughter. It was a good theory but it hadn't always proved easy. So many people were still willing to probe, speculate and even joke about her ordeal now.

Hurrying outside she jumped into the car, revved the engine and sped away towards home. The winter fog that had rolled in earlier in the day clung to Rosewood and Emily vanished inside it.

- x -

Emily sat quietly staring at the television without really taking it in.

"Emily," Alison called across to the brunette as she stretched along the full length of the couch. Nothing. She called again. "Emily." This time the brunette rolled her head to face Alison. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Emily puffed out her lips and exhaled. "Not really, no."

"It might help babe, to talk," Alison persevered.

"It's nothing," Emily lied. "I thought I had our prime suspect today but somehow he wormed his way out of it."

Alison placed her palm on her stomach and began to rub absentmindedly at the little life that was currently growing in there. "You'll get him. Remember what you always tell me – it's just a matter of time."

"Yeah, but this one bothers me, Ali. Every time I think I have him nailed to the wall he worms his way out of it. At first I thought he was just thinking on his feet but now I'm not so sure. Now I'm playing a game with him and from what I've seen so far he's a damn good player – the best player I've seen since…"

She let the sentence tail off into nothing knowing that Alison would understand what she was getting at.

Emily sprang from her chair to her feet and made her way towards the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Alison and their bump followed her. Alison had seen her wife like this before, only once and it was before they were married, before they were really even involved properly.

But she knew now that it was better to get Emily to talk to her than allow the brunette to dwell on such matters. She wouldn't let Emily slip away back into any of the dark places that the past could take her wife too.

"Don't let this get on top of you, Em," Alison warned. To most people it would have been an innocent comment, but not to Emily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily asked.

Alison resisted rolling her eyes when she realised her mistake. "Nothing, just don't let this get personal."

"It's always personal, Ali," Emily told her firmly. "For me, it's always personal. It's how I stop these people."

"I know," Alison soothed, "but you need to be careful. It's not just us anymore and you don't have to try and do everything alone."

"Why? " Emily challenged unfairly, "are you afraid I'll lose it again or something?"

Alison knew about the past. The scars. The pain. The obsession. Everything. After breaking down Emily's giant walls, Emily had always been honest with her. She understood the rage that still festered every now and then inside the brunette. How could it not?

"I'm sorry," Emily said as she sipped her water. "Do you think about it anymore? Aren't you even a little afraid that I may get another case like that?"

Alison knew she was talking about Jessica. "No. Never."

If Alison had had any doubts, no matter how small, she would never have married Emily, let alone have a child with her. This was just Emily venting her frustrations. Alison had dealt with it before and she knew she would have to deal with it again at some point. That was part and parcel of Emily's job.

A heavy silence fell between them. Alison moved towards Emily and held the brunette's face in her hands. "Your past is a curse, but it has left you with a gift. You can think like these people. You can predict them. You can catch them and that makes this world a whole lot safer for our daughter."

"Do you know what it's like, being able to think like these people?"

"No," Alison answered honestly as big brown eyes stared into her own. "I look at you when you're like this and I thank God that I can't. But I love you even more for protecting us. The three of us."

"Ever since her I can feel what they feel," Emily said. "I can feel their excitement, their relief, their pain and their confusion. We live in one fucked up world, Ali."

Alison stroked Emily's dark hair, the way a mother would a child. Ironic but good practice she thought to herself. "Yeah, and you use that to stop them. To stop them hurting more people."

"I'll be fine," Emily stated, "I just needed you to give me a little pep talk."

"You know who you are, Em," Alison reminded her gently. "I'm proud of my Em, I'm proud that it's you who goes after these people. It scares me at times, of course it does, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Emily smiled for the first time in hours and pushed her glass away. "Thank you," she told Alison softly. "Thank you for putting up with me. Promise me something though."

"Anything," Alison answered easily.

"Don't ever let me go. Don't give up on me."

Alison slipped her hands around the back of Emily's neck and pulled the brunette as close as her stomach would let her. "That will never happen," she promised. "I love you. We both love you. Just don't push us away, Em. Don't ever push me away."

- x -

Alison sat bolt upright in bed. She looked around wildly, trying to process the disjunction between the dream that she had just had compared to the homely bedroom that she now found herself in. As her breathing began to slow she realised that their baby was kicking furiously, as if sensing Alison was having trouble sleeping.

She turned to look at Emily. The brunette had never been a heavy sleeper but Alison was pleased to see her wife breathing softly beside her. Slipping quietly out of her side of the bed, she picked up Emily's hoodie from the back of their bedroom door and tiptoed quickly out of the room.

Crossing the landing, she headed for the stairs. She walked past the door to the second bedroom that was decorated in soft neutral colours, her and Emily had both agreed that there would be no over bearing of pink anywhere just because she was carrying a girl. She had a feeling Hanna wouldn't stick to that rule though.

She headed downstairs to the kitchen and flipped the kettle on, before she could do anything else Luna was dancing around her feet, her tail swatting furiously against Ali's legs in happiness before she took off and headed towards the kitchen table. Alison grinned when she turned around with her coffee.

Luna was sitting perfectly upright in the ladder – backed wooden chair at the table, haunches and four feet were crowded onto the small seat, what was left of Luna's tail was sticking through the back. Her brown eyes followed every move Alison made. The blonde laid a hand on top of Luna's ruffled head and the dog closed her eyes.

"I'm here, Lu," Alison said, and the dog sighed.

"Is she kicking you again?"

Emily had snuck into the kitchen and was looking at her in the way that only Emily could. Alison shook her head and then began to nod while Luna turned her attention onto the brunette, jumping off the chair and sauntering in Emily's direction, her tail wagging just as furiously at the brunette.

"Kind of, I had a weird dream and then she began kicking me. How are you feeling now, Em?"

"What do you think?" Emily replied, trying to keep her tone light as she reached for her coffee mug.

"Come here," Alison opened her arms and Emily gratefully snugged inside of them. "Just take it a day at a time, you will catch this guy, I know you."

Emily nodded into Ali's shoulder as Ali's stomach pushed right up against her – a friendly reminder that things really were great but were still going to get better over the next few months. She was so grateful for Ali's support, for the blonde's ability to forgive her venting and frustration.

Breaking away, Alison made Emily her coffee – there was no point in going back to bed now.

"After this I'm going to shower," Emily declared as she clumsily set the mug back onto the kitchen table.

"With me?" Alison replied quickly, her eyebrows raised in Emily's direction. She knew it was teasing but she didn't care. Her need for Emily was currently insatiable.

Emily tilted her head as if she was thinking something serious over before she grabbed Alison's hand and headed towards the stairs. "Definitely with you."

- x -

The rain clouds had gathered by the time Emily reached The Brew coffee shop. She could see Alison's head back, laughing at something Hanna, Spencer or Aria had just said. Despite her job some things were still magical in the world, it was just a matter of finding them.

"You're looking great, Ali." Emily heard Hanna say as she approached their table. She bent down and pressed her lips to Ali's temple earning a brilliant smile from her wife in reward.

Then the blonde rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Hanna. "I look great? Is that code for I look gigantic?"

Hanna shook her head furiously as she swallowed her orange juice and then placed her hand on her own flat stomach. "No, it actually suits you. I want one."

"Suit's me?" Alison scoffed with a small laugh. "Bloated ankles and stretch marks – it's a good look," Alison cast an envious eye over Hanna's trim figure before she spoke again. "Let's hope it catches on."

"You're still perfect," Emily whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss on the blonde's cheek.

"How are you both getting on anyway?" Spencer asked, "it's been a few weeks since we've seen you both."

Alison shrugged and looked at Emily before she picked up her cup of tea, blowing some of the steam away before she answered. "Outwardly, excited. Inwardly? Terrified."

"Definitely both," Emily murmured in agreement as her hand came to rest on Ali's thigh under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll be fine, you're both naturals," Aria chipped in with a toothy smile.

Alison placed her cup back down and looked up at Emily, the brunette was looking back at her too and she looked at Alison with such clarity that the blonde could see the tiny golden flecks in Emily's eyes. "Maybe. If we're still married in a year we will be able to say it's a job well done."

Emily smiled and ignored the aww's from their friends as she placed her lips against Ali's nose, kissing it quickly before moving her hand from Ali's thigh and onto her ever-growing bump. She still couldn't help but grin when she thought of their daughter in there.

"I hate you guys," Spencer announced sarcastically, "all this time and you guys still can't keep your hands and mouths to yourselves. All gooey and in love like teenagers."

They stayed for an hour, discussing everything from baby grows to the books they all read as children. It was still sometimes difficult for Alison to process that Emily, Spencer and Hanna had only been in her life for four years; she wished they'd have been there from the start.

They all hugged goodbye before Emily took Ali's hand, led her outside and then drove home with their hands still interlocked. Alison watched the houses go by and smiled as she thought of what Spencer had said in The Brew. It was true though – her and Emily still couldn't keep their hands to themselves after all this time.

They hadn't made it more than three steps into the house when a furry rocket came careering towards them and skidded to a halt in front of Emily who was a few steps in front of Ali. Luna submitted to a few seconds of chin scratching, just to be polite, but it was pretty clear that she wasn't the dog's final destination.

Trembling in excitement, she gave Emily's hand a quick yet apologetic lick with her tongue and then bounded towards Alison who leaned down and started blubbering to the dog as if Luna was actually their child.

Since Ali had began to show, Luna had become uber protective of her. Growling at strangers or the post man at the door while sniffing and peeing on every surface outside their home to make sure other dogs knew she was there.

Emily shook her head sadly and then laughed. "Sometimes that dog makes me feel really undervalued."

Alison walked towards the brunette, wrapping her arms around Emily's midsection and resting her head on Emily's shoulder.

"Yeah but I don't make you feel undervalued, I still love you. We both love you," Alison stated as she drew Emily's hand down to her stomach where a small foot was protruding against her skin. Emily felt their daughter kick a few beats before she stopped. "See," Alison added.

Emily was in the middle of kissing her wife when her phone began to ring in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the number before she reluctantly pulled her lips away from Ali's. "I have to get this."

Alison peeled her sweater off to reveal her t-shirt which had rode up her stomach a little, she watched curiously as her stomach began to pulse in a familiar way. When she'd first fell pregnant she'd been told that the kicking would feel like butterflies but it was more than that, she couldn't put her finger on it but it was different. Better than butterflies. Better than most feelings.

She looked up to find Emily nodding in her direction before answering the person on the other end of the phone. It sounded serious and she wondered if Emily had finally gotten a break in her case, she hoped so. She knew the brunette was feeling the effects of the case, last night had proved that.

Emily pressed the end call button with her thumb and looked at Ali with a smirk. "The Mayor wants you to write a piece on this new guy, a profile almost to help us out and turn the heat up."

Alison sauntered back over to where Emily was standing. "I don't work for the paper now."

"Call it a favour for me," Emily replied quickly as she placed her hands on Ali's hip to draw the blonde closer.

"Fine," Alison relented easily, "I'll do it for you."

"Hey, Ali?"

"Yeah, Em?"

"It's just like old time's ain't it?" Emily asked with a broad smile.

Alison nodded before she moved her hands from Emily's shoulders and to around her neck. "Yeah, apart from I'm now your wife, we're having a baby and you don't have a psycho after you."

"Yeah, I guess there are some differences," Emily admitted with another grin before she awkwardly lifted Alison around her waist and headed towards their bedroom, ignoring the blonde's playful squeals.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading as always! You can follow me on Twitter if you wish at Kirstenr93 tweet me that you follow thismy other stories and I will follow you back or you can catch me on Tumblr my url is amusingbutconfusingg  
><em>


	35. AKA What a Life!

_If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.  
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><p>"And here we go," Emily grumbled, her bare feet hitting the wooden floor of their bedroom as she rolled out of bed and made her way over towards their very new and very loud baby.<p>

She glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. Red lights showed that it was just after three in the morning. It was their first night home with their daughter and the third time they had been awoken since they had put her in her bassinet nearly four hours ago. Sometimes it was tough being a parent. Scratch that, it was always tough being a parent and Emily had only experienced it for two days.

"How do you make so much noise? You're too small to make this much noise baby," Emily smiled sleepily as she picked up their seven pound, six ounce bundle of perfectness. "You're pretty awesome though so I will let you off waking me up at this time of the morning."

Alison yawned loudly as she pushed herself up on her elbows before she awkwardly and sleepily manoeuvred herself out of Emily's t-shirt, draping it around her neck so the baby would have easy access to her. She leaned over and illuminated the room in a soft yellow glow.

"Hi, gorgeous baby," Emily cooed as she got back into bed and sat next to Alison, crossing her legs when the blonde took their daughter into her arms.

Alison adjusted the baby's position in her arms and grimaced slightly when she felt her daughter latch onto her right breast, a reaction that Emily clearly hadn't missed.

"Is it sore?" Emily asked as she stroked the baby's fine blonde hair.

Alison tilted her head slightly in Emily's direction. "Truthfully? It is a little painful, I'm just not used to it that's all. It get's easier as we both get used to it, well according to the midwife anyway."

"Yeah," Emily frowned a little to herself. "I'm sorry it hurts you babe."

"It's fine, Em," Alison reassured her, reaching her free hand over and squeezing Emily gently on the arm. "I love having this skin on skin time with her."

"We still don't have a name," Emily stated as a tiny hand bumped against her own.

She moved her hand so her palm was facing upwards and watched as their daughter put her hand in Emily's own. She grinned and she saw Alison grinning too out of the corner of her eye. Emily was still in some disbelief that this was her family, if someone had of told her this five years ago she would have fainted with laughter. Her own perfect little family, with her gorgeous wife and daughter and not a psychopath in sight.

"It's ridiculous," Alison admitted, "we've had nine months to figure it out but none of them fitted when she was put into my arms for the first time."

"Me neither," Emily agreed still smiling, when she looked back down their daughter had apparently stopped feeding, her eyes closing over gently.

"Here, take her for a minute," Alison said, handing the baby back to Emily before readjusting her t-shirt back on her body.

Emily rocked her gently before she lifted the baby to eye level and pressed a kiss on her cute little button nose. Then Emily positioned her so that her head was resting against Emily's own shoulder. She could feel the small bundle fidgeting around restlessly as Alison rested her head on her other shoulder.

"So what do you think we should do?" Emily asked as she pressed another kiss onto the baby's head, the skin soft and smooth under her lips. She was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to stop pressing cute kisses against her daughter.

"We still have some time," Alison reasoned as Emily crossed the room and placed their daughter back into her bassinet. "It will come to us," she added as she moved on the bed and huddled back under the duvet.

"So she's just nameless?" Emily complained with a yawn before she put the light back out and plunged the room into darkness. She shifted closer to Alison, smiling when the blonde took her hand as always and wrapped it around her hips so their hands settled together on Ali's stomach.

"No," Alison replied quickly, "Baby, gorgeous, my little lady."

"Or we could go for stinky, sleep deprived, booby lover?"

Emily was hoping for some kind of reaction or bite from the blonde but she could only smile when she realised that Alison had fallen straight back asleep.

- x -

Hanna, Spencer and Aria had never seen any two people look so happy. As they all strolled across the park together, the pristine red pram cutting a swathe through the fallen leaves, Emily and Alison chatted excitedly about their little bundle's arrival.

Alison laughed at the indignity of the birth at the hospital and Emily explained in great detail her naked terror the first time she was allowed to hold their daughter. And then they had discussed the many lies they had both been told about what parenthood was going to be liked.

The three friends realised that the whole process for Alison and Emily had clearly been bewildering, scary, painful but through out it all completely amazing too.

Given Emily's history, Hanna had no words to explain how pleased she was for them and the fact that things had worked out so well for her original best friend in Emily and her relatively new best friend in Alison.

"I still can't believe you suggested Jessica as a name," Spencer said with a hearty laugh as they continued to walk. The suggestion had clearly amused her beyond any reasonable doubt.

"I forgot!" Hanna squealed, "it's been years."

"How can you forget that, seriously?" Aria added as she bumped her shoulder against Hanna's in a playful joke.

"Yeah, Han," Emily stated, "how could you really forget that? Like really?"

Hanna scowled in Emily's direction before she turned her attention swiftly onto Alison. "I'm choosing to ignore your wife to say that you look absolutely amazing for having just given birth."

"Thank you, Han," Alison said with a huge smile as they all reached a bench and sat on it side by side.

"Everything's changed now hasn't it?" Hanna asked as they looked out onto the water.

It was a beautiful day and Emily felt at peace with the world. More than that, she felt completely connected to it. "Yes, but you all now all have a Goddaughter. If you want to be Godmothers that is."

The request that had rendered Hanna, Aria and Spencer speechless for a few minutes before they all happily accepted and exchanged excited hugs.

"There were no other candidates other than you guys," Alison explained once they had all finished their group hug, "you're our family too."

"As her Godmother," Hanna started, "I feel it is in her best interests to say that she needs a name. Like pronto."

Spencer glanced at Hanna out the corner of her eye before she nodded. "I agree with Han – for once."

"Me too," Aria confirmed, "I mean you have had nine months to think of it."

Emily and Alison looked at each other before they both burst into a fit of refreshing laughter for no other reason other than they could and that they had everything they had both ever wanted. When the laughter had died down they both looked at their best friends.

"We know," they said in unison.

- x -

Emily was beginning to realise that chasing down leads, catching serial killers and roughing up criminals was a much easier task than taking care of a three day old baby. And there also seemed to be a lot less diapers involved in her job.

Emily felt like she was in a diaper dispensing factory and Alison felt like a giant milk bottle. The baby had certainly, despite it being an impossibility, inherited Emily's eager appetite and perhaps her love of Alison's breasts. Either way, Alison was up every few hours for feeding.

When Alison had finally got their poor nameless baby to sleep for the first time in hours she collapsed onto their bed in a heap. Stuffing her fist under the pillow and hoping that sleep would come easy. Every bone in her body seemed to ache as if the last few days were finally catching up with her.

As if on cue, Emily entered their bedroom after having a shower and their daughter let out a muffled whimper and then a piercing cry.

"No, no, just no," Alison said, her voice laced with so much frustration it was bordering on annoyance, "I just fed her like fifteen minutes ago. I'm not cut out for this, Emily. I can't -"

"Hey, come on, Ali," Emily soothed as she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her wife's forehead. "I got this, no problem. You need to sleep; I will take her for a little walk around the house. She seems to like that."

Emily made her way over towards the bassinet and hovered slightly, looking down at their daughter who was moving around restlessly, soft blue eyes looked up into her own. _She knows she's nameless, _Emily thought to herself. _That's why she's being like this, it's the only explanation._

"Shh, Miss Fields," Emily hushed as she leaned down into the bassinet and picked her daughter up, cradling her carefully in her arms. Emily could feel small legs pushing against her stomach and smiled at the stubbornness of her daughter. "Your Mommy needs to sleep, so how about we take a little walk and settle you down?"

Another cry pierced the bedroom and Alison turned over and reached out with her eyes still closed, expecting Emily to hand her the baby after her first attempt at calming her down had failed. Instead she felt Emily's lips on her own and for the first time in days the blonde smiled contently into the kiss.

"I've got this, Ali," Emily stated softly, "get some sleep. I know you need it."

Thirty minutes later, Emily shifted herself in the rocking chair in the nursery and winced as there was another whimper from the baby in her arms. She had tried everything from making silly faces and silly noises to singing - pretty badly, and then finally offering her pinky as a pacifier. None of it had worked so far.

"Oh, come on baby help me out. What can I do to help you?" Emily asked gently as she stood and walked around the nursery, noticing that her daughter seemed to quieten down whenever she spoke.

Emily turned and looked at the shelf of books that Alison had bought months previous. She could almost feel the light bulb in her head being switched on. She walked towards the shelf, scanning the titles until she picked out one with a purple cover and fairies on the front page.

Emily took a seat back in the rocking chair and used her free hand to open the book at the first page. She began reading aloud and for the first time in thirty minutes there was no sound as their daughter snuggled into Emily's chest. It was ironic, Emily thought to herself.

When their daughter had been in Ali's stomach, Emily's voice seemed to rouse her, resulting in plenty heavy kicking sessions. Now, it seemed to relax her enough that she settled down. Both situations made Emily grin and she couldn't help but smile as she, herself, got more engrossed in the baby's book.

"No two feathers are the same, so Tink and Ella play a guessing game. This is a game that Ella loves, I think that feather is a dove's," Emily continued to read aloud until she had finished the last page and shut the book over. She was startled when she looked up to find Alison staring lovingly at her from the doorway.

"That was adorable, I couldn't sleep without you both," Alison said, although Emily had a sneaky feeling that the blonde had had some sort of nap, her usually immaculate hair sticking out a little at the ends.

"How long have you been standing there?" Emily questioned playfully.

"About four pages back," Alison replied truthfully as she made her way over and leaned down to kiss Emily. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better to have my daughter with."

- x -

The next day, after making a stop at the DIY store, Emily got to work in the baby's nursery. She held up the nail before she swung heavily at the hammer, the nail being embedded in the wall with a small pop and a little cloud of dust.

She arranged the wooden letter above the crib before she moved backwards to check that it was completely straight on the wall. After hammering in three more nails and adding three other letters she stood back and admired her own handiwork.

She lifted up the edge of her t-shirt and wiped the sweat off her brow. She looked down and saw the faint outline of the scar that adorned the bottom right hand side of her abdomen where her appendix used to be.

It was a strange feeling, it almost felt foreign to look at it and she hardly ever gave it a second thought anymore. She let the t-shirt fall and then pulled it down at the collar, looking down at the love heart that still carved a path through the skin on her breast, she wondered how she would explain that to their daughter in a few years. _We will cross that bridge together, _Emily reassured herself.

Hearing no more sounds of nails being driven through the wall, Alison carefully made her way upstairs with their baby attached to her shoulder. She looked at Emily who was beaming at the work she had just produced and she motioned for Alison to come and stand beside her.

She placed her arm around Ali's shoulder and drew the blonde in closer, placing a kiss on Ali's temple. They both smiled up at the four wooden letters that hung on the wall.

E- L- L- A

"Ella DiLaurentis Fields," Alison whispered as she traced her finger over Ella's red rosy cheek being rewarded with a small gurgle.

"She likes it too," Emily said with a smile.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you, thank you and thank you again to every single person who has followed this story. I really did not imagine that it would become this popular. Another massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, you guys are completely awesome (p.s if you could get this over 1300 that would be amazing!). And thank you to Lucy who helped me out with the baby name when I was seriously struggling. You guys are all awesome and yeah, just a massive thank you again for making this story what it is!<em>


	36. Bright

_I'm pretty sure a few of you will be doing a double take when you see this update. I thought I was completely finished with this story but turns out I'm not. I really had the urge to write in this world again so yeah. Little Fractured Family update!_

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><p>She'd heard about it at school.<p>

_"Your Mom is a bad ass," _Dani had told her in class two days ago, _"She's like some sort of Rosewood Police hero. Apparently your Mom is like a legend and everyone knows her. Even my Mom and Dad know her." _

Well, she'd heard the name anyway, in explicit detail at that. She was pretty sure she had heard her parents talk about that name at some point before too. So, as she sat on her bed, her fingers poised above the MacBook keyboard, she wondered if she was doing the right thing.

Without over thinking it her fingers began to move across the keyboard. _JESSICA. _She paused as an array of choices on Google appeared, the one she was looking for was the second option down in the list. She clicked on the mouse pad and waited for the page to load. It didn't take long for the page to appear in all it's glory.

Her Mom looked different; younger but older at the same time. Weary even. She didn't look happy. The headline made her eyes widen and she scratched her nail against the body of her laptop as she continued to read the newspaper article. After the first article she clicked backwards and picked another one. It mostly contained the same information.

"What are you doing?" Sauntering into the room with a basket of laundry under her arm and a three-year-old boy on her other hip, Alison cast a curious glance at Ella and raised an eyebrow in surprise as the twelve year old slammed the lid of her MacBook shut with such a force that it rattled.

The young girl frowned and squinted her eyes at the blonde. "Nothing," she offered lazily in response. "I was just researching some homework for class next week."

It was Alison's turn to frown. She looked between her daughter and the now closed laptop, her curiosity piqued but for a completely distinctive reason. "Yeah honey, that may work on some people but I know you're lying to me. I know you better than you know yourself, Ell. Mom's always do."

Ella brought her knees up to her chest before she reached for a pillow and hugged it close to her, her chin resting on it as she looked sincerely across her bedroom at Alison. "I know about Jessica Jackson. My friends at school told me some things about her."

Alison made a face. She placed the laundry basket on Ella's desk before she and Olly sat down on the bed next to the twelve year old. Olly crawled across the short distance and pulled at the pillow with his small hand before he settled against his big sister.

Sometimes it still surprised Alison at how much Ella was like her; blonde haired, blue eyed, extroverted, too talkative and far too opinionated at times. Not to mention clever beyond her years. Emily had always said that Ella had an 'old soul'.

"Okay," Alison said, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ella shook her head. "I want to talk about it with Mom instead."

Perhaps Alison should have probed more – tried harder to get her daughter to talk to her instead – but knowing it would be no use she simply took Ella in her arms for a long hug. She knew first hand how Ella was feeling so she kissed her daughter's blonde hair and closed her eyes at the lack of any decent answer.

_- x -_

Emily walked from the courtroom at a quick pace, scanning the second floor hallway for journalists who she didn't really want to speak to. She walked shrewdly through the main part of the court and into a labyrinth of short airless, light less corridors that eventually led to a staircase that she climbed until she reached an old looking door.

Emily pushed the door open and entered without hesitation, immediately hit by the noise of the chatter that couldn't be heard from the other side of the door. The little 'police only' canteen was enshrined in the court's history, that and serving the worst coffee in America was what it was known for during big trials.

It didn't take her long to find Toby and Spencer sitting alone in the tiny warm room, nursing what she knew would probably be cold, weak coffees. They sensed Emily enter and looked straight at her from across the room.

She knew they would be reading her face, looking for answers to their questions before they could ask them. Emily wound and weaved her way through the tightly packed tables and chairs. Even now years later, other police officers moved out of her way without being asked. Old habits generally died hard.

She reached the table and sat down heavily across from them.

"Well?" Spencer asked impatiently.

"Not fit to stand trial."

"Fucking hell!" Toby's response was loud enough to make other officers and detectives in the canteen look up, albeit briefly. Emily looked around the room, a visual warning to everyone not to interfere. "Jesus Christ," Toby continued. "What's the point?"

Emily watched Toby unconsciously rubbing the top of his right shoulder, as if he could feel the bullet inside him all over again.

"Come on, Tobs," Spencer encouraged as she laced their fingers together, "We always knew this was a possibility. Once we'd seen the psych reports it was practically a certainty."

"I know," Toby agreed with a heavy sigh, still rubbing his shoulder with his free hand. "I was fooling myself that common sense might win around here."

"It is possible that he really is mad," Spencer suggested as she reached across to stop her husband from rubbing away a patch on his shirt.

Emily nodded. "He is completely mad, trust me and my experience on that."

"Yeah, but he's also capable of going on trial. He knew what he was doing when he did what he did. There were no voices in his head or other bullshit like that."

"He's not getting away with it," Emily assured them. "While we're sitting here he's already on his merry way to the secure wing at Radley. Once you go in there you never come out."

"The women aside, he killed an officer and nearly killed me too, he will be a God in there," Toby mumbled furiously.

"Don't be so sure, Toby," Emily said as she smiled at him sympathetically.

"After all these years as partners we are still in the shit, Em."

"I know, I don't want another partner though, you know that." Emily's phone began to vibrate in her jacket pocket.

She answered it without hesitation when she seen Alison's name pop up on the screen.

"It's me," Alison said.

Emily resisted the urge to smile in the setting that she was currently sitting in. "You know I guessed that right?"

"I thought you might being a detective and all. How did it go then?"

"Not great," Emily admitted as she glanced across the table at Spencer and Toby who were engaged in their own quiet conversation.

"Well, I'm preparing you for when you get home and burdening you with some more bad news. Your daughter has been doing some research on your infamous psychopath."

Emily internally cringed. "Which one? ... I mean which daughter by the way not psychopath."

"Ell, of course. Her friends told her about it all at school and well we know how curious she is at the best of times, plus she's twelve she's not silly. Katie is out playing football in the yard next door with her friends, she's oblivious don't worry."

"Okay that's something I guess, I'll be home soon."

"Good, we love you," Alison replied happily.

"I love you all too."

Emily placed her phone back in her pocket before she picked up her briefcase that now looked more like an over sized child's satchel. The top of it had been drawn on by her and Ali's three-year-old son, Oliver, just the night previous. Emily was pretty sure that he had attempted to draw Superman, his current favourite Superhero.

"I have to go. My twelve year old daughter has been researching Jessica Jackson. Why the hell would kids talk about that stuff at school?"

Toby and Spencer grimaced simultaneously.

"Well," Toby began, "We all knew this day would come, good luck with that one. My day seems a little better now compared to what you're about to face. What a conversation to have. I still hate Jessica Jackson, I hope you know that."

Spencer narrowed her eyes at Toby before she turned back in Emily's direction. "It will be fine, trust me. She will understand once you explain things to her, Em. Granted it's not ideal but most things never are."

It had been over three years since anyone had directly tried to harm Emily on a case far less kill her. This was in itself an impressive hiatus in her life span, but it hadn't been long enough. _Get over it. _She said that to herself every time the thought crept up on her.

Because, truthfully, she was living such a wonderfully, happy, ordinary life now. She got up, got dressed, ate breakfast with her family, went to work and came home again safely. This was the routine of millions and the American dream of millions more.

"I best go," she said as she gave Toby a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before she weaved her way back through the crowd of the canteen.

_- x -_

With expert precision, Emily planted a stolen kiss on Alison's neck when she announced her arrival home. The noise that fell from the blonde's lips vibrated loudly in their currently quiet kitchen, mirroring the smile that pulled at Emily's lips.

Emily took a step backwards and tilted her head. "Why are our daughters so inquisitive? How could anyone tell Ella about Jessica at school? Wait where is our son?"

The blonde smiled, took a step forward, and wrapped her arms back around Emily's waist to pull the brunette closer to her own body. "One question at a time, Em. One, because they are ours and people are morons, morons who tell their children things who then tell our children things at school. And two, he's fast asleep. He had a tiring morning watching cartoons with me."

Emily's eye roll disappeared behind a curtain of dark curls as she let Alison press their lips together in a soft kiss. Gently, her hands travelled up the blonde's arms and shoulders before they settled around Alison's neck.

"Is Mom home yet?"

The voice made them part and both of them turned to look at their intruder. Ella was standing in the kitchen doorway with her nose scrunched up at the scene in front of her like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever seen in her life.

"I'm here," Emily replied with a smile for her daughter. She turned to Alison and kissed the blonde on the nose. "I need to go and speak to our daughter." Alison pinched her hip reassuringly before Emily followed Ella out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards her bedroom.

_- x-_

They sat across from each other. Ella with her long legs crossed and Emily perched on the edge of her bed, her hand on her daughter's knee as if to give some assurance that everything was okay. That she could ask anything she needed to. That she wasn't in any trouble for finding out.

"Is it true what Dani said to me at school a few days ago? That that woman cut you up and then you died but then she started your heart again?" Ella made a face as she said it. She didn't look worried but confused, as if her brain couldn't really process what her mouth had just said.

Emily swallowed hard. _Why did people have to have such big mouths?_

"It was a little more complicated than that, Ell." So complicated that Emily didn't really know how to explain it to an intelligent twelve year old who was still technically a child in her eyes.

Without saying a thing, Ella grabbed her Mom's hand and gripped it tight while big blue eyes locked onto Emily's own. "But she hurt you bad didn't she? I read some of the stuff online. I can't..."

Silence. An awkward, uncomfortable silence. Emily bit her cheek as a pang of guilt hit her chest and then expanded outwards. This wasn't how it should be. She should be the one telling her daughter what she needed to know, not her friend at school.

"Yes, she hurt me bad," Emily admitted as she looked into bright blue eyes that were swimming in questions and thoughts. "But don't believe everything you read online about it, most of it is trash. Read your Mom's stuff if you really want to know about it."

"And that's how you met Mom?" Ella asked in full concentration. "I know you both said you met on a case but I didn't know that it was like this."

Emily smiled gently. "Yeah, that's how I met your Mom. But look at it this way, if Jessica hadn't happened there is a good chance me and your Mom wouldn't have happened and that would mean you wouldn't have happened and how on earth would the world cope without you?"

It earned Emily a small grin from her daughter. _There we go, _Emily thought to herself.

"But why did it have to happen to you?"

"I don't know sweetie, I wish I could tell you. I was different."

Ella pondered the answer for a few seconds before she said, "My friends at school think you're cool because of it. They said that you're a bad ass."

"I am a bad ass though?" Emily replied before she arched an eyebrow. "But don't let your Mom hear you saying that word for another two years at least."

Ella grinned again, fully this time. "I was just repeating it, it's different… I don't want to know anymore though, I don't want to think about it. My brain is going crispy around the edges just thinking about it."

Emily nodded and smiled. "I think that's sensible –"

Before Emily could say anymore, Ella's arms wrapped around her for a tight hug and she stroked her daughter's long blonde hair as the twelve year old deflated in her arms.

"I love you, Mom."

_- x -_

Emily smiled when she heard the telltale creak on the stairs, followed by the soft padding of her daughter's feet as she crept downstairs. It was a ritual Katie had started with Emily a couple of months ago.

Whenever long hours, a particularly hard day or just plain insomnia kept Emily up after the rest of the house finally went silent, Katie would sneak downstairs to steal time alone with her. In Emily's mind, that was just about as close to winning a parenting Oscar that you could get.

She appeared at the bottom of the stairs, bundled up in tattered old Patriots jersey Emily had given to her three years ago, and gave Emily a rosy cheeked, two-dimpled smile.

"Hi, Mama." She slouched onto the couch next to Emily before she maneuvered herself into Emily's arms and pecked her softly on the cheek.

"Hi, baby. I didn't think I'd see you again. You were pretty tired earlier, I heard you snoring all the way down here."

She giggled before she snuggled further into Emily's chest.

"I want to be a cop." Katie had never been one to waste time with transitional conversation, but her bluntness, even at ten years old, still took Emily by some surprise at times.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed them before she looked down at Katie and shook her head vehemently. "No you don't. There's lots of reports to read and write and you don't even like doing your homework. We had to bribe you last week."

Katie shrugged, seemingly unimpressed with Emily's answer. "Yeah but I hate math. I want to chase down the perps like you."

_Where the hell has she heard that word?_ Emily thought to herself. There was too much information loose in the world today, just laid out there on the TV or in magazines for any kid to see, long before they had the good sense to be put off by the real horror of it.

"Nope. I'm not allowing it, your Mom will agree with me."

Katie looked up and gasped in exaggerated horror. "But Grandma said I can be whatever I want to be, even a space woman but I want to be a cop like you, Mama." Katie crossed her arms and wiggled loose of her position on Emily.

"I don't think Grandma and Grandpa would like you to become a cop. Where did you learn the word perp anyway?"

Katie gave her the eye roll, the classic child reprimand when parents were being obviously silly or dense. "Mama, it was all over the TV where the cop chased the bad guys. Plus I've seen you and Uncle Toby on the TV before too and you said that word."

"This is why ten year olds shouldn't watch TV these days," Emily replied as she brought Katie back into her chest. "Come on, we're going to bed."

"But, Mama –"

"You're not being a cop," Emily repeated as she lifted both of them up off the couch, she turned and crouched a little to let Katie jump up onto her back. "Bed time and case closed. No more cops in our family."

Katie huffed in her ear but Emily could tell that the ten year old was smiling when she said, "Fine, I want to be a Quarterback with the Pats then."

_Kids, _Emily thought.

_- x -_

Natural light flooded down the staircase and into the living room, its brightness temporarily blinding Emily as she blinked to adjust to its harshness. Her nose welcomed the smell of fresh coffee and her eyes welcomed the sight of Alison and Oliver in the kitchen as she reached the doorway.

"Good morning," Alison beamed as she kissed Emily before turning her back on the brunette and retrieving Emily's coffee mug from the cupboard. "You came to bed late last night."

"I know, Katie ambushed me downstairs again. I'll make it up to you tonight."

Alison smirked as she poured the hot black liquid into the mug. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I hope you do," Emily replied before she turned her attention to the three year old who was wandering about the kitchen in nothing but a t-shirt. "What did I tell you about walking around naked buddy?"

Focused on his orange juice, Oliver shrugged at her and then began to grin as he hooked his finger under the fabric of his Superman pajama top. "I have a t-shirt on."

Emily raised her eyebrows gamely as she sat on an island stool. "Yeah, but where are your bottoms? You had pajama bottoms on last night too at bed time."

"Too hot," Oliver said, beaming Emily a mega watt smile of tiny teeth.

"Leave him alone," Alison said playfully as she rested her head on Emily's shoulder. "You walk around in the morning half naked in a vest top and tiny shorts."

Emily rolled her eyes, grabbed the cereal box and poured some into her bowl, before reaching for the fresh milk cartoon. Her hopes of a quiet morning had disappeared by the time the milk had hit the bottom of the bowl - both Katie and Ella entered the kitchen at the same time.

Alison hadn't noticed it before but her family had become really dysfunctional when it came to their bedtime clothing. There were no matching pajamas in view. Katie still had on her football jersey and shorts, Ella had a t-shirt and reindeer sweatpants on despite it being March, Oliver had no bottoms on and her and Emily wore the same kind of thing.

"Why are you still wearing that stupid Pats shirt? They suck," Ella remarked as she took her place next to Alison at the kitchen island.

Katie pouted her lips and narrowed her eyebrows in her sister's direction. "They don't suck, the Eagles suck and you suck too."

"Uh," Alison held up her hand as Emily held in her laugh and brought Olly up onto her knee. "We all know that the Pats and Eagles both suck, but the Packers don't suck."

The kitchen, which two minutes ago, had been a friendly welcoming environment had turned into a football fueled frenzy. Each of them bickering amongst themselves while Oliver pretended to be Superman on Emily's knee.

"Get over it," Alison said as she rose from her stool with her coffee. "All of your teams suck."

"Fine but the Eagles suck more, Mom," Katie interrupted as she lifted another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. After her cereal she turned to Emily and motioned for the brunette to lean closer before she said, "The Eagles suck more than math though."

Laughing, Ella lifted her bowl and followed Alison into the living room before yelling her disagreement back at Katie.

"A Packers," Oliver squealed as his feet hit the floor and he propelled forward towards Alison and Ella.

"I'm pretending he didn't just say that," Emily called through to the living room as Alison winked at her, Ella laughed at her and Katie shook her head in disappointment that another sibling had once again chosen the wrong team to support.

* * *

><p><em>I'm unsure if I will be updating this story again this chapter was really just a spur of the moment thing! But if there's enough interest then perhaps. Also, if you're interested in reading my writing outside fanfiction please check out my new blog! accordingtkirst ( d o t ) wordpress ( d o t ) com - thank you!<em>


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